Fighting Amazon Deforestation With…Cheese

Acclaimed chef Mark Rausch launched an “anti-deforestation pizza” made from Caquetá cheese, one of the few Colombian artisanal types of cheese with protected denomination origin (PDO).

When widely acclaimed chef Mark Rausch launched his “anti-deforestation pizza”, he couldn’t envision such impact and success beyond borders. The pizza of the hour is made from Caquetá cheese, one of the few Colombian artisanal types of cheese with protected denomination origin (PDO) and is available in Hermanos Rausch group’s restaurants.

Promoting best practices in the dairy industry has become an urgency, as extensive farming is among the main causes of deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. In that sense, whilst promoting an iconic product, Rausch’s pizza definitely appears as an environmentally-friendly menu option.

When Mark Rausch created the anti-deforestation pizza, the Bogotanian chef was already using Caquetenian products in his meals, such as creamed peasant butter and other varieties of cheese. The idea is linked to a programme called “Conservación y Gobernanza”, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).