Cyprus has a long history of conflict. But 40 years after it was invaded by Turkey, that conflict is fueling an ongoing dispute over a popular Cypriot cheese.
Last month, the Republic of Cyprus’s ministry of agriculture applied to register halloumi, a semi-firm cheese with a high boiling point, as a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the European Union, which trademarks traditional food products from a region, manufactured in specific way. While the government hopes to prevent overseas copycats, the maneuver has flared tensions on home soil.
Halloumi is Cyprus’s second biggest export to overseas markets. In 2013, exports were of halloumi were worth €76.4 million ($102 million), up 26% on the prior year, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus. A decade earlier, halloumi and other Cypriot cheese exports totaled €11.7 million ($17 million). The cheese provides a much-needed fillip for the country’s economy, which was hard hit by the recession.
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