The microbiopolitics of artisanal cheese: a case study of Tasmania, Australia

This article investigates the "microbiopolitics" of artisanal cheesemaking as manifested in the use of pasteurized, raw (unpasteurized) milk, and plant-based varieties. Drawing on Heather Paxson's study of artisanal cheese in the United States, it examines how the microbiopolitics of conventional and alternative milks are produced, challenged, and redefined by artisanal cheesemakers. The research is based on qualitative, empirical research conducted in Tasmania between mid-2022 and early 2023 that included literature review, site visits and semi-structured interviews with artisanal cheesemakers. The study finds that artisanal cheesemakers, regardless of the milk type they use, are deeply committed to producing cheeses that are of a high standard in terms of both art and science. However, in doing so, they must negotiate a complex "microbiopolitics" occurring at three levels: the level of the cheesemaking industry, the level of the state's regulatory apparatus, and the level of the human microbiome.