A delimitation and characterization of the different 'terroirs' of dairy farming in the 'Massif Central' (France) were realized by summarizing two parallel approaches. By the expression 'terroir', we mean a local area with homogeneous environment and homogeneous production systems. A simplified map of the natural environment was obtained by the superposition, with a geographical information system (GIS), of three maps: geological, relief and rainfall. In a parallel way, the data on livestock dairy systems were obtained from three successive surveys, in the 'Massif Central' region, department and small zone scale; 43 dairy farming zones were delimited and characterized by their relative homogeneity. A map of the 'terroirs' of dairy farming in the 'Massif Central' was realized by the superposition, using a GIS, of the livestock dairy system map and of the simplified map of the natural environment. This method, used on 8 departments of the 'Massif Central', corresponding to the production area of 7 sorts of AOC cheese made from cows' milk, lead to the identification and description of 55 'terroirs' of dairy farming.