project summary
tibetan yak cheese project

project goals & context | project description | activities & achievements

project goals & context

Trace Foundation supports rural development initiatives that seek to further the local culture and traditions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as well as economic and social development. In 2004, Trace Foundation established the Tibetan Cheese Project, a unique income generation initiative combining the Foundation’s rural development and education goals. The project built on Trace Foundation’s previous partnership with the Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School in Golok Prefecture in establishing the Snowland Tibetan Cheese Factory. Purchasing excess yak milk from nearby nomadic communities, the factory produces cheese for domestic and international markets. Profits partially fund the Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School, where nomad children receive a free education in both traditional Tibetan scholarship and modern subjects in the Tibetan medium. The Tibetan Cheese Project focuses on helping the factory attain self-sufficiency in cheese production and export.

project goals & context | project description | activities & achievements

project description

Currently, 440 students rely on the Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School for their education. The school receives no government funding, and families cannot afford school fees. The Snowland Tibetan Cheese Factory not only serves as a funding source for the school, it also provides an accessible market for nomadic communities’ excess yak milk, increasing their income with minimal impact on the environment or their traditional way of life. The factory currently produces several kinds of cheese and has entered the domestic market in China. In 2005, the Snowland Tibetan Cheese Factory began building a presence in the international market, with help from a key partner, the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. The cheese factory has the promise of becoming a self-sustaining enterprise that fully funds the Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School, but needs additional assistance to increase the quality of the cheese and expand cheesemakers’ skills in navigating the international market. The Tibetan Cheese Project focused on three areas to help the factory attain self-sufficiency:

Improving cheesemakers’ technical skills;
Increasing management capacity;
Building marketing and promotion skills.

project goals & context | project description | activities & achievements

activities & achievements

Improving cheesemakers’ technical skills:

12 cheesemakers received training from international experts: All 12 cheesemakers at Snowland Tibetan Cheese Factory received training in cheesemaking procedures and standards.
2 head cheesemakers expanded their training: The cheese factory’s head cheesemakers completed training aimed at improving both cheese production and their management skills.
Production standard established for primary product: A production standard was created to ensure uniform quality for the factory’s flagship product, the semi-hard Tibetan yak cheese.
Cheese production manual compiled: In order to ensure the longevity of the project, a step-by-step manual in Tibetan on the cheese production cycle for the factory’s current and future cheesemakers was produced and distributed.

Increasing management capacity:

Cheese factory staff trained in management techniques: International experts mentored Snowland Tibetan Cheese Factory staff in finance and management skills to be able to ensure long- term independent operations.

Building marketing and promotion skills:

Snowland’s semi-hard Tibetan yak cheese featured at renowned international food fairs: The yak cheese was featured at Salone del Gusto, Cheese, and Terra Madre in Italy in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, and recognized as one of the 96 International Slow Food Presidia.
Tibetan Yak Cheese Presidium created: In collaboration with Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, the Tibetan Yak Cheese Presidium was created to improve the quality of the cheese and help develop market-viable systems for international distribution.
Cheese website developed: A website (www.tibetancheese.org) focusing on the history and development of the project since 2001 was created to help publicize the work of the Foundation and develop a consumer base.
International press coverage received: The story of the project was covered extensively in the international press.

For more information about the Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School and the Snowland Tibetan Cheese Factory, please visit: www.tibetancheese.org

project goals & context | project description | activities & achievements

project: quick facts

duration: January 2004 – December 2007

budget: $171,474.25 USD
(TF Contribution $151,087.27; 88%)

location: Qinghai Province, Golok Prefecture, Machen County, Ragya Township

TCP project partners:

• Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity
• Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School
• Veterinary Association for Cooperation with Developing Countries (AVEC-PVS)
• Regional Government of Valle D’Aosta, Italy

Download a pdf of the Tibetan Cheese Project Publication

Click here to browse through a virtual copy of our cheese publication

project summary tibetan yak cheese project

project goals & context

project description

activities & achievements

project: quick facts

project summary
tibetan yak cheese project