Like many foreigners who have come to China, Marc de Ruiter has fallen in love with the place. He, with his wife and two children, has called it home for the last 11 years. His interest in China began during his student years. "When I was in university, I was drawn to the Asians. I had very good connections with the Chinese students in school. When I met my wife, she was also interested in China, and we decided, after long debates, to go to China."

de Ruiter, who is originally from Holland, came to China with a mission. "We wanted to go overseas to help other people and we saw an opportunity in China to do that. I've been doing agricultural development work in the last eight years. At one point, we were looking at small-scale farmers and decided they needed help. We thought of a way to supplement their income and that's when we started Yellow Valley Cheese."

Farmhouse cheese in Shanxi

Yellow Valley Cheese was officially set up in 2006. "We make a Gouda-type cheese. It's a farmhouse cheese and our aim is to produce natural, organic cheese, so although we pasteurize it, we don't use any artificial ingredients , colorings or additives. Because of different feed practices in China, it doesn't taste the same as the Dutch Gouda cheese, but it's pretty much the same type."

That, according to de Ruiter, sets Yellow Valley Cheese apart from its competitors. "The fact that we produce all-natural cheese is one big distinction. Also, since it is a farmhouse cheese, it's hand-produced compared with the industrial cheese that's being imported into China. Another difference is that our cheeses are fresh. We make it this week and in two or three weeks, it's mature enough to sell. Imported cheeses, on the other hand, have either been frozen or refrigerated for very long periods of time before they reach China."

Marc de Ruiter calls himself a social entrepreneur. (Image: Yellow Valley Cheese)The cheese produced are also submitted to rigorous quality control. "Obviously, quality is the top priority when you're in business and even more so when you are making a food product. We have our own laboratory to check that the milk we receive are free from antibiotics and other chemical additives. Fortunately, we've never found any problems because we have a very good relationship with our farmers. They know what we require in terms of milk quality. Good cheese, after all, comes from good milk."

"We also have very high standards for hygiene and cleanliness in our factory. It's all in the hands of local people whom we and some cheesemakers from Holland have trained. We also have an American colleague that oversees the production and quality control of our cheese."

A changing market

Yellow Valley Cheese got its license to operate in November, so it's still in its infancy. "We are just starting off with cheese sales. We are selling about a ton of cheese per month, but we can produce four or five tons at out current capacity. We can expand our facilities if it really takes off."

de Ruiter says that the main market for Yellow Valley Cheese are foreigners. "We are marketing to cities like Beijing and Shanghai where there are expats around. I think our market will be foreigners in the next couple of years. However, I expect that within the next two to three years, our market will be primarily Chinese because I'm expecting a major change in the market."

Western restaurants in China are helping pave the way for dairy products. "The Chinese are generally lactose-intolerant, so a lot of people are not used to drinking or using any dairy product unless it has low lactose content, which is the case with cheese and yogurt."

"And, since dairy products are an acquired taste, the Chinese have to get used to these whole new products. The market amongst Chinese is very small at the moment. What I see happening, though, is the same thing that has happened in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and with overseas Chinese everywhere. Western restaurants are here and because of them, the Chinese are acquiring a taste for cheese. Obviously, they first start with very bland cheeses like mozzarella, but they're slowly getting more sophisticated in they're choices. They're getting into more of the European cheeses."

A community effort

Yellow Valley Cheese hopes to supplement the income of small-scale farmers. (Image: Yellow Valley Cheese)de Ruiter describes himself as a social entrepreneur. "Our whole idea was to set up a commercial, sustainable business to help the poor. Other companies might start with a different perspective, it can just be about money and becoming wealthy. The profit that we will make, we will be using towards new ventures, new projects to do the same thing. I can't just take the money and run off or use it for myself. That might make us a bit different from most companies nowadays."

Yellow Valley Cheese has 15 full-time local employees. They're looking to hire another five people in the next six months. "We also have about thirty to forty farmers that supply our milk. As I said, one of our aims is to supplement the income of small-scale farmers so even though they are not paid by us as employees, we count them as part of our company in terms of how we can impact them."

de Ruiter says that many Chinese people appreciate the company's aims and goals. "There have been a lot of support in so many different ways. For instance, the local Shanxi province government officials have been so supportive in helping us set up the business that I am surprised all the time about their continuing help. I think the main reason is that the Chinese are touched by our objectives and they've been more than willing to help us. There are a lot of challenges, but I hope that within a year, we will be successful."

Please visit their website for more information about Yellow Valley Cheese.