Abstract
Research report written in the context of the Interreg Alpine Space European Project 'AlpFoodway' Rye used to be the most common cereal cultivar in the Alps. Far more robust than other cereals, rye easily adapts to harsh climate and high altitudes and, therefore, was for centuries the staple food of mountain populations. Various factors, including the improvement of the population economic well-being, led to a progressive reduction in its consumption and production. Thanks to a Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO), local actors covering the entire supply chain (rye and flour production, baking) were able to safeguard and revitalise this important element of the Valaisan food heritage and productive landscape. The PDO product specification allows some flexibility in production methods to better include bakers of different size and the adaptation of bread to local consumer tastes. In the Haut-Valais and in the German-speaking parts of the Canton, consumers like rye bread with a more acid taste, whereas in the Bas-Valais and the French-speaking parts of Switzerland they prefer a less acid bread with a more neuter taste. Slow Food also contributed to the safeguarding of traditional Valais rye bread with the establishment of a Presidium centred upon the fifth-generation Arnold Bakery of Simplon Dorf, which is also a member of the PDO association. This case of rye bread in the Canton of Valais contributes to a better understanding of how food heritage can be valorised through geographical indications that can coexist peacefully with alternative promotional networks. It also highlights the role of large retailers that can both hinder and contribute to the valorisation of traditional Alpine food products. Finally, it sheds light on some possible unintended consequences of geographical indications, which can ‘freeze’ products and hinder innovation.