Two encounters on the protection of certain species and varieties of plants at risk of extinction in the territory of Catalonia, Albera and the French Roussillon were held inside the Slow Food Pavilion on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21. To talk about this was Jean Lhéritier (President of Convivium Slow Food Roussillon, former President of Slow Food France from 2004 to 2011). During the two conferences, the characteristics of the Catalan goat breed raised in France by a few breeders were illustrated with the incredible variety of plants and typical products of the area.

 

The Catalan goat contributes to prevent fires and to saving the tortoise

 

This breed of sheep is a goat for mixed-use, of rustic kind, and has around two kids a year, usually a male and a female. “The first breeder who believed in it was Martin and there are three reasons for this choice” - explained Lhéritier - “First of all, these animals know how to clean the undergrowth, helping to prevent fires and save the typical tortoise of the area. Besides, their milk is exceptional and their meat is excellent”. Today, the Catalan goat was inserted in the Ark of Slow Food Taste and is made known to new farmers and journalists to promote its protection within the territory as much as possible.

 

So many races, many plants and a Marsala PGI wine, Rancio Sec

 

So many races in the area, in addition to Catalan goat, are protected thanks to Slow Food. The cows of Albera, for example, and the red Roussillon sheep. The first are very resistant mountain cows in danger of extinction and the second are short-haired and red sheep. For the past twenty years, the International Association, born thanks to Carlo Petrini, has been protecting certain indigenous plants like the Jaumets table grapes, the Toulouges red onion, the turnip of Cerdogna, the coquette apple of Conflent and the Roussillon red apricot. A last protected product that has also been recognized with the PGI in 2012 is the Rancio Sec wine, with Slow Food since 2004. “Protecting biodiversity is very important”, explains Lhéritier “without it, we do not have enough means to survive”.