A new prototype of a ripening chamber was proposed aiming to evaluate the application of computational fluid dynamics in the optimization of traditional cheeses ripening conditions. With the purpose of evaluating the possible impact in the production of cheese in three Portuguese regions, the potential economic benefits of the prototype were demonstrated. The proposed automation process would imply higher production efficiency, increasing sales, decreasing stock levels and a significant reduction in the consumption of water and electricity. Based on average values, it was estimated potential increases of 133 010 € in sales and an individual net present value of almost 560 000 €. In addition to the economic impact in firms, which are mostly small and medium firms, the results also contribute to an increase on the sustainable use of natural resources. However, it is important to highlight the contribution of the project in a pandemic situation to develop a better financial situation of the firms based on a higher margin of the business.
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Traditional dairy industry, based on small ruminants sector, is very relevant in the Alentejo region, with an important impact on the specialization and employment profile of the region. It has been stated that livestock rearing conditions, namely diet composition and extensive systems, the raw milk, as well as the manufacturing process and the ripening conditions contribute to the chemical and sensorial characteristics of the cheeses, being responsible for such unique specificity, influencing the buying decision and appreciation of consumers (Rodrigues et al., 2018). Portugal is recognized as a country where traditional economic activities related to agriculture remain important, not only because they are relevant in rural areas but also because it is possible to find several products with recognized quality, with traditional cheeses being one of the examples. Of the different types of cheese available, made with ewe, cow, goat or mixed milk, the firmness, organoleptic properties and composition, among other characteristics, vary depending on the region of production (Fox & McSweeney, 2017). The improvement of the production conditions of a given activity is crucial both at the microeconomic level, enhancing the results of the individual firms, but also at a macroeconomic level, potentiating the economic development of the region. The importance of maintaining investments in the economic activities is well documented and is clear for several activities, including investments in traditional manufacturing firms in general (Nybakk & Jenssen, 2012), but also in the specific case of the dairy industry (Aziz et al., 2019; Ragkos et al., 2015). As expected, the investments in this sector, in particular, have an important relevance on the productivity (Barać & Muminović, 2013; Sauer & Latacz-Lohmann, 2015) and consequently on the economy as a whole. The investment decisions in the dairy sector could also have relevant impacts on environmental issues, which could contribute for the achievement of the objectives of sustainable development (González-García et al., 2013; Valta et al., 2017).
In the last decades, the traditional ripening rooms, using empirical knowledge for the control of environmental conditions, have been replaced by modern ripening chambers with automatic control of temperature and humidity. However, the use of refrigeration systems based on the vapor compression cycle are largely responsible for the high energetic costs, that in some enterprises may reach 60% of the total energetic costs (Alves et al., 2014). Within the scope of the “CFD4CHEESE – Application of computational fluid dynamics in the optimization of traditional cheeses ripening conditions” project, new insights were used to improve the environmental conditions in small ripening chambers using computational fluid dynamics but also using remote monitoring and sensing to evaluate operational costs like energy and water consumption. With these improvements it is expected to increase the quality and the efficiency of the cheese produced with raw ewe’s milk and thus increase the quantity of cheese granted with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The efficiency of the production process is also fundamental for the profitability of the activity, since it allows the optimization of the use of the raw materials and the increase in the quantities of final product available to the market. It is hence possible to optimize the relationship between inputs and outputs of the activity, being this one of the major concerns of the project. The eventual PDO cheese production is important because it guarantees producers to have higher economic results in terms of firms (Sellers-Rubio & Más-Ruiz, 2015) but also in a macroeconomic level (Vakoufaris, 2010). These new conditions of the businesses, turn the firms less dependent of economic cycles and more robust to the volatility of the demand in a time of a pandemic situation.