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latinometrics OP t1_jaszza7 wrote

from our newsletter:

Of all places, Venezuela has been on a cheese revolution since the beginning of this century, producing in 2020 3x the amount it did in 2000. We were thrilled to see that the country with usually the most troubling news in the region is actually LatAm's 2nd largest cheese producer and surpassed Switzerland (the cheese homeland) in production for the first time in 2009.

Source: OWID

Tools: Affinity Designer, Rawgraphs

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deags13 t1_jat14fm wrote

Not really surprising. Swiss cheese is full of holes.

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Curious_Jellyfish_37 t1_jat58i5 wrote

I mean, Swiss population is 8.7 million; Venezuela is 28.2 million; Argentina is 45.8 million, and Mexico is 126.7 million... So the tonnes per person in Switzerland is (very roughly guessed from looking at the post) more than twice that of Argentina and Venezuela, and something like 20x that of Mexico

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AdamsFei t1_jat6jhh wrote

I'll gladly trade argentinian/venezuelan one for the swiss one with 4:1 exchange ratio, though.

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Nnelg1990 t1_jatdok9 wrote

Replying to Curious_Jellyfish_37 (#2,154,561)

Also, this graph makes it look like Argentina is the biggest cheese producer, but they're behind small countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. (the higher producing countries are mentioned by an arrow in the graph).

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MrMitchWeaver t1_jatgs53 wrote

Quality vs quantity though. And I say that as an Argentine.

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LanewayRat t1_jatlbsz wrote

What about the rest of the world? Why indicate “8 European countries off the chart” as if they are the only ones? For example, Australian production is about 48 thousand tonnes p.a.

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studude765 t1_jatn3ku wrote

Replying to latinometrics (#2,154,290)

>Of all places, Venezuela has been on a cheese revolution since the beginning of this century, producing in 2020 3x the amount it did in 2000. We were thrilled to see that the country with usually the most troubling news in the region is actually LatAm's 2nd largest cheese producer and surpassed Switzerland (the cheese homeland) in production for the first time in 2009.

TBF my guess would be this is partially if not primarily because of the price caps the (economically illiterate) government put on milk (and other goods) during hyperinflation...if your a milk producer and you can't sell it for a profit then you're better of turning it into cheese instead, which you then can increase in price to go along with inflation...the government likely indirectly caused this in a not-good way. Also cheese keeps better than milk and can be exported easier...shocking. Venezuela's socialist government has completely mismanaged their economy through dumb policies with bad back-end consequences.

​

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-venezuela-crisis-turns-bootleg-cheese-into-a-big-business-2020-3

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-food/missteps-as-venezuelas-hugo-chavez-backs-farming-idUSN2734134020080429

​

excerpt: "The government bought one of the country’s largest milk companies last month to stem a common practice by farmers of selling milk for cheese, which is subject to fewer price controls than milk, or shipping it to neighboring Colombia."

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pokey68 t1_jatnjwc wrote

Replying to ShillingAndFarding (#2,155,191)

Just double checked. I remember reading it was 3 BILLION pounds, so I checked and just read a Wikipedia post saying it was 2.6 billion in 2006. So either way, Wisconsin kicks their ass. I’m in Wisconsin. I’ll walk down the road and give those girls a pep talk. Money won’t buy you happiness, but it will buy you more cows, which is kinda the same thing.

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Joseluki t1_jatv5t2 wrote

I am surprised and doubtful that Venezuela produces anything anymore.

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BlueSkyWhy t1_jatx1eu wrote

That's because Swiss cheese has holes in it. So it brings the weight down.

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Starbuksman t1_jau2pnc wrote

Given the land area- it’s not a hard feat.

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nirad t1_jauc14q wrote

is cheese production the only thing Venezuelan Communists have gotten right?

−1

Cheshire_Khajiit t1_jaupyoa wrote

The country with many friends is the country with many cheeses! Don’t feel like cheese? That argument has as many holes as a slice of this fine gorgombert!

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SwaMaeg t1_jauwbto wrote

Per capita would be more interesting. I’m also curious the fraction of Swiss cheese and, for that matter the Monty Python popularized Venezuelan beaver cheese.

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nim_opet t1_jauz0fe wrote

Argentina has >5x and Venezuela >3x the population of CH too

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Hattix t1_jauzqs8 wrote

It wasn't that long ago that I learned Switzerland is known for cheese in the US. Here in the UK, we don't make that association.

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dongorras t1_jav634x wrote

Fellow Latino or Latina from Latinometrics, why do you always have the need to compare Latam countries with some random European one, but kind of ignoring/not properly showing others? This kind of shows a wrong message or conclusion (many commenters seem to think the same).

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Bmw-invader t1_jav8d1p wrote

Ppl keep commenting how Switzerland has a much smaller pop. But you have to take into account that a lot of Latin Americans are lactose intolerant so even still the amount of high quality cheese latam produces is impressive. Euros usually have no issue consuming lactose as adults so the fact they produce a lot of cheese is no surprise.

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jimbosdayoff t1_jav8mt7 wrote

Venezuela makes sense because of the large gas reserves

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Damas_gratis t1_javbfig wrote

Where can I see more charts like this for Latin America ? I would like to see what Guatemala produces :D

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mopedrudl t1_javbq15 wrote

Replying to deags13 (#2,154,362)

Ah yes, THE famous one type of Swiss cheese. Then there is Tasty Cheese (whatever that is), Cheddar, Blue. Cheese and the one you spray out of a fucking can.

There you go, that's your 5 types of cheeses.

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canBeDone1 t1_javg4ek wrote

"Hyundai makes more cars than Ferrari"

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Jaxxlack t1_javisot wrote

Want real cheddar you gotta go to cheddar gorge in UK.

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Ohmygodboys t1_javmdt6 wrote

At least their economy is stable and is not about to collapse

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Dizi1 t1_javq760 wrote

Fuck me... when will people realise that stats like this mean nothing. PER CAPITA that's what matters. Argetina has more than 5x the population of Switzerland and Venezuela almost 3,5x the population of Switzerland...

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galdikas t1_javzzu5 wrote

That's just cause there's no holes in Argentina cheese

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el_grort t1_jaw810f wrote

Replying to izeris_ (#2,157,474)

Also, given Switzerland was the main example for comparison, it probably makes sense to connect it with other countries in its neighbourhood. Basically saying Switzerland isn't a massive producer like the other eight big European producers, which is relevant.

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mrswashbuckler t1_jaw8jtj wrote

The swiss even cheat by cutting holes in all of their cheese. Cheaters never win

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AaronRamsay t1_jawbg9h wrote

So much bigger country produces more of something than a much smaller country?

Next thing you'll tell me is that China produces more tomatoes than Switzerland

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Seth_Imperator t1_jawczev wrote

Hum...we, Europeans, are more in for quality than quantity...I bet swiss cheese production over-values Arg and Ven twice...

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Rez-Boa-Dog t1_jawfcsn wrote

Of course they do. Switzerland is a tiny country that imports most of its food. About half the land is moutainous, which limits the production capacity. Tl

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Darwins_Dog t1_jawgbug wrote

Replying to Jaxxlack (#2,157,734)

The knives used to be up there with cheese, but leatherman has taken a lot of the multitool market recently.

After that is probably hot chocolate. I mean, we know that Swiss Miss probably wouldn't pass in Switzerland, but we see the name everywhere so it's subconscious.

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SentientKeyboard t1_jawgg1a wrote

Replying to andyrocks (#2,157,676)

Same tired trope about the US. It's like beer. The US has some of the best cheese and beers and wines in the world, but uncultured Europeans want to compare Kraft singles to their named cheeses when smaller farms in places like Vermont or Wisconsin are making incredible products.

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batua78 t1_jawj1f1 wrote

But is it any good? I know the Swiss ones are great

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Isaktjones t1_jawj3lo wrote

Replying to andyrocks (#2,159,419)

State

a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.

"Germany, Italy, and other European states"

State was more commonly used in place of country in the past hence the reason it was used with the formation of the USA. Many countries in the North American continent teamed up and formed a union to protect against Europeans, now this union had grown and a lot of the uniqueness has left but each state is still it's own and has it's own constitution that governs it. The current EU is similar to the early USA and over time will likely become more homogenous.

Edit: The USA still currently uses the word state in place of country in lots of its news broadcasts.

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EavingO t1_jawlokl wrote

Replying to ca_kingmaker (#2,158,933)

Hey, I never said it was a good thing that they produced enough cheese to give god an obesity problem, just that they produce an insane amount of cheese. Frankly I think quality wise the West coast beats them hands down.

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DikkDowg t1_jawu14e wrote

One taste of swiss cheese and you’ll realize why they don’t make more.

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hidden_secret t1_jawuafd wrote

Replying to SentientKeyboard (#2,159,355)

I mean, I'm just looking at the cheese you eat (stuff like cheddar!).

You might have incredible cheese, but if it's only eaten by 1% of the population, it can't be compared to cheese from other countries that most people eat in these countries.

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TimePressure t1_jax49sa wrote

Replying to andyrocks (#2,160,192)

Notably countries that are mentioned in this graph. Comparing Wisconsin to these does make much more sense than comparing the entire US.
Firstly, like in the named three countries, milk and cheese production has tradition and still is among the main agricultural product, which can't be said of the entire US.

Secondly, administrative levels are just that- somewhat arbitrary administrative levels. Someone else might be annoyed that you're not comparing the entire EU, or the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, which is famous for its cheese but has <17k inhabitants, or some obscure county of Wisconsin.

Political science notes that the words we use for administrative levels do not have strict definitions. "The State of Israel" is a sovereign nation-state, and nobody will bat an eye at calling Israel a country.
States do have governments with some sovereignity, but what is a state in one nation might be equivalent to an entire nation somewhere else, and equivalent to a county in the third.

In short: It does make sense to compare units with similar aspects. Be it an economic orientation, size, population, economic power, etc.
Administrative levels do not always mean the same thing or are beneficial to compare.

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QuantumS1ngularity t1_jax4bik wrote

Replying to Bmw-invader (#2,160,257)

>that feet smelling cheese.

that feet smelling cheese alone generates more worldwide revenue than the entire latin american cheese industry combined LOL

There's a particular reason why no one knows any latin american cheese and a reason why the latin american cheese industry is so small. There's also a reason why european cheese is eaten in almost every single part of the world, a reason why european cheeses have names most people know.

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QuantumS1ngularity t1_jax4mct wrote

Replying to Bmw-invader (#2,160,257)

" The quality of cheese can change due to a variety of factors, including:
Age: Cheese is a living product that continues to develop and mature over time. As cheese ages, its texture, flavor, and aroma can change. Some cheeses are meant to be eaten young, while others are aged for months or even years.
Temperature: Cheese should be stored at the proper temperature to maintain its quality. If cheese is stored at too high or too low of a temperature, it can affect the flavor and texture of the cheese.
Moisture: The moisture content of cheese can greatly impact its quality. Cheese that is too dry or too moist can affect the texture and flavor of the cheese.
Milk quality: The quality of the milk used to make the cheese can greatly impact the final product. The breed of cow, the diet of the cow, and how the milk is handled and processed can all impact the quality of the cheese.
Production methods: The production methods used to make the cheese can also affect the quality. Different cheeses require different methods of production, and the skill and expertise of the cheesemaker can greatly impact the final product.
Contamination: Cheese can become contaminated with bacteria, mold, or other pathogens. This can affect the quality of the cheese and can also make it unsafe to eat.
Overall, the quality of cheese can change due to a complex interplay of factors, including age, temperature, moisture, milk quality, production methods, and contamination. Cheesemakers must carefully manage these factors to produce high-quality cheese."

Your whole "cheese is all the same" logic isn't just childish but it's also a personal delusion.

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IDK3177 t1_jax9i81 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#2,156,770)

I'm from Argentina and I partially agree. We could improve our cheese game a lot but for harder cheesses we need to extend the maduration time. Probably due to the financial inestability, noone keeps a cheese to mature it 12 or 24 months, or at least none of the important players. Soft cheeses are great!

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SentientKeyboard t1_jaxc4wo wrote

Replying to hidden_secret (#2,160,020)

In that case, the majority of it that's being consumed is just as run of the mill as the cheeses in the US. And we're talking actual cheese, not a comparison in bad faith between American "cheese products" and actual European cheese, but the cheese that gets counted in production statistics as cheese. Just because people make up a specific word to call it and slap a PDO sticker on it doesn't make it more special.

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kmiaw t1_jaxc8ju wrote

Replying to vrenak (#2,159,077)

If we're taking in numbers we just went past our 5th one and are currently on the 6th one but since we're using USD$ to pay businesses and crypto coins to pay the government (yes, you heard that right) then it doesn't feel like a collapse.

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Seb_Le_Gris t1_jaxhf96 wrote

Switzerland still produce more good cheese than Argentina and Venezuela

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LanewayRat t1_jay6pjs wrote

Replying to izeris_ (#2,157,474)

Doesn’t say that though.

My point is that the graph is concocted to make Latin American production appear more significant than it is. It’s not a careful analysis, it’s just spin.

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