BIZKAIA ESNEA is made up of 35 villages in Karrantza. Together, we are the biggest producers of milk in all Bizkaia. Everything started in 2009, when the low prices offered by milk distributors put us in an extremely difficult situation, with many of our comrades having to stop their activity and close their dairy farms. The price paid for a litre of milk was lower than what it cost to produce. Against this background, we look for ways to bring our produce directly to the consumer without any form of intermediary.
Our work focuses on three tenets:
-ORIGIN: All of the farms are located in Karrantza valley. Karrantza is in western Bizkaia, and it is the biggest produce of milk in the Basque Country.
-QUALITY: the main responsibilities when raising cattle are looking after the cows, improving their living conditions and looking after their diet. In the Karrantza valley, there are extensive green pasturelands that guarantee milk of a high quality.
- COMMITTMENT TO THE PRIMARY SECTOR: The cooperative is composed of the dairy farmers and they are the ones who take decisions in the assemblies. The main reason for creating this cooperative was to safeguard the livelihoods of the Baserris. In order to so do, they are offered a fair price per litre of milk.
Today, Bizkaia Esnea sells UHT milk, fresh milk, curd, lard and fresh cheese to the people of Bizkaia.
- Creating networks
- Peasant movement, Peasant organisation