Coğrafi İşaretli Ürünlerde Kooperatiflerin Rolü: Bolu Mengen Peyniri Örneği (The Role of Cooperatives on Geographically Indicated Products: The Example of Bolu Mengen Cheese)

Abstract

Cheese has been among the indispensable products of the tables from past to present. In ensuring the sustainability of these values, it is of great importance that producers act in an organized manner. Operating in the province of Bolu, Mengen and Villages Production and Marketing Cooperative is one of the cooperatives that can provide this organization and sell geographically indicated products. The main purpose of the study is to identify the activities carried out or planned to be carried out by the Mengen Cooperative to ensure the recognition of the geographically indicated Mengen cheese and to increase its production capacity, and to reveal their thoughts on this subject. Within the scope of the case study conducted in line with the purpose of the study, face-to-face interviews were held with eight partners of the cooperative. Accordingly, it has been determined that the activities carried out by the cooperative in increasing the production capacity and recognition of the geographically indicated Mengen cheese are very limited, but they aim to carry out more effective activities at the national and international level in the future.