The impact of territory and knowledge on the globalization of hand-made cheeses: an analysis from the LAS1 approach

Innovation in Localized Agri-Food Systems (LAFS) is based on processes of transfer of diverse knowledge. According to Asheim (2007:224), there are three bases of knowledge (synthetic, analytical and symbolic) that differ in the rationality of their creation, in their tacit and / or codified content and in the modes of transmission. The objectives of the research were: a) to specify the characteristics of the knowledge bases in the LAS according to the Asheim ́s scheme and the link between consumption and culture; b) analyze the processes of transfer of knowledge according to the scheme outlined and the link with the market in the LAS; c) characterize the role of innovation in the changes to food production processes that should retain traditional flavors. In the methodology, the case study was used under the modality of two cases in different contexts (LAS-Aculco and LAS-Cabrales) and an ethnographic work for the collection of information. It was found that the symbolic base is concretized in subjective interpretations associated with the production and consumption of cheeses; these knowledges are transferred in the dynamics of daily life and in the producer-consumer relationship. The synthetic, emphasizes a highly tacit and endogenous know-how, is shared “face to face” between producers, by observation, visits to dairies, and by employee mobility. The analytic is presented through scientific-technological actors and is transmitted unidirectionally through courses and technical assistance.