France relaxes cheese production rules amid drought and heat
France is temporarily easing strict regulations for several protected cheeses, including abondance, beaufort, and comté, as drought and heat have devastated pastures. Producers can now use imported fodder and grain to feed cows, a departure from traditional rules that require local grazing. The government agency INAO will also grant exemptions for other cheeses like reblochon and cantal.
The temporary exemptions apply to hard cheeses from the Alps and Jura, where permanent grassland growth by mid-August had fallen a third below the 1989–2018 average. Beyond abondance, beaufort, and comté, INAO will also relax rules for reblochon, cantal, bleu d’Auvergne, and fourme d’Ambert. The broader crisis includes a projected smallest corn crop since 1980 and record-early wine harvests, with scientists attributing intensified drought to human-caused climate change, driven more by extreme heat than rainfall deficits.
These rule relaxations could affect both producers and consumers, as traditional feeding methods underpin the protected labels' authenticity and premium pricing. If imported fodder becomes routine, the cheeses' terroir-based identity may be diluted, potentially eroding consumer trust or market value. Conversely, the measure may help small farms survive a climate-stressed season, preserving livelihoods and supply chains. The long-term impact depends on whether such exemptions become recurring adaptations to a hotter, drier climate.