Alternatives for their milk are emerging from the producer cooperatives. For example, a recently created producers cooperative, that has become quite important, sells milk through contracts. Something that it did not happen before. This initiative of selling milk through purchase and sales contracts has been driven by the the  E.C. There are also other groups of producers who use collective bargaining in order to negotiate the price as a group and not individually. Bargaining individually weakness the farmer’s position with regard to industrial purchasers. There is now a better coordination between sheep farmers who are joining in their efforts to fight against the abusive prices of the milk that are given by big companies. The “Latxa Esnea” cooperative has been created by the local producers. This cooperative has obtained some collective contracts, although the industry keeps wanting to purchase the milk individually so they can negotiate the prices downwards. In Navarra there are groups of people who are not only thinking about the production but also about integrating into the community as they believe in the careful elaboration of Idiazabal cheese by smallholders. The situation with the farmers has reached rock-bottom, and as it can only get better from here this encourages a more hopeful future scenario.
Compared to other Autonomous Regions, in the Basque Country small producers are increasingly turning to producing cheese, as the sale of milk, on its own, is not profitable. This occurs especially in Basque farms, when younger generations are taking over farms. Each year there are two or three new cheese farms, lead by young shepherds that want to continue living in the country. Despite the small total production of Idiazabal cheese, 1200 tons per year, production is far from being concentrated into a few producers, it is diversified among plenty of cheese farms. This is considered as positive as it is profitable business for all those that live in the territory.

Hiroshi brings conger eel from Japan, he loves Cantabrian tuna fish and his vegetables come from a small local farmer. Hiroshi always gives priority to quality over price. While showing us how he cooks a cod, he explains that in his restaurant they deeply clean all the fresh fish in order to eliminate anisakis, which means that they must throw out most of the fish and keep only the loins and the tail. Anisakis Simplex is a marine parasite, whose larvae may cause gastric problems and, or, allergies to human beings

According to a study by Azti Tecnalia, allergic problems in the Basque Country represent 10% of the cases of anaphylactic shock (approximately 308 cases per year). The European hake is the species with the most amount of parasites, and in the Basque Country it is also the most consumed fish. Between 3 and 4,5 grams per habitant /day, considered a very high risk. While an ordinary individual can buy fresh fish at fish shops and be responsible for freezing it, or not, before eating it. A restaurant must freeze the product, especially if the fish is going to be consumed raw or semi-raw. However demand for fresh fish is increasing. Japan, one of the world’s most important fish consuming countries, has created specific laws concerning food safety, for example the Fugu fish. Stricts licenses are issued to manipulate this dangerous fish whose poison causes around six deaths per year.

Perhaps the solution could be, a specific awareness label for manipulating fresh fish, so every restaurant could be responsible for the presentation of its product. This is an alternative that will increase the value of the restaurants that consume local fresh products as well as increase the amount that local fishermen can charge, as they know that when their fresh fish is frozen it retains few characteristics to set it apart from imported frozen fish.

Why should a restaurant pay more for fresh fish, even doubling prices for a local fish caught with a hook and line, if after freezing the fresh fish, it has little differences compared to other frozen fishes from other seas further afield?