France to relax cheese production rules after drought takes toll on grazing land
France will temporarily relax protected production rules for cheeses including comté, beaufort and abondance after drought and repeated heatwaves left grazing land scorched. The change allows farmers to give cows more imported fodder and grain, helping safeguard milk supplies and the rural livelihoods tied to traditional cheesemaking.
The drought affected 95% of mainland France in July, while permanent grassland growth was one-third below the 1989-2018 average by 10 August. Comté production totalled more than 62,000 tonnes last year, but some farmers report sharply lower milk yields; one Normandy producer’s daily output has fallen from 600-700 cheeses to 400-450. Authorities may extend similar relief to other protected cheeses, as wider agricultural losses include an expected 23% fall in this year’s potato crop.
- France eases cheese rules as drought destroys grazing pasture.
- Farmers can temporarily use more imported feed.
- Lower milk yields threaten traditional cheese production.
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Comté, beaufort and abondance are French cheeses made under protected rules that link each cheese to a particular region and production method. Those rules include what cows can eat, reflecting the role of local grazing in producing the milk used for the cheeses.
The rules support the identity and value of these cheeses, as well as farms and rural jobs built around making them. When drought damages pasture, farmers can struggle to feed their cows and maintain milk supplies, putting both cheese production and those livelihoods under pressure.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
France's farmers face genuine hardship from unprecedented drought affecting 95% of the country, with some producers reporting milk yields down by 35-40%. Temporarily relaxing production rules allows farmers to access imported fodder and grain, protecting milk supplies and preserving rural livelihoods that depend on traditional cheesemaking in circumstances that rigid rules cannot accommodate.
The case against
Protected Designation of Origin rules exist to ensure quality, preserve cultural heritage, and maintain market differentiation based on traditional production methods rooted in specific regions. Relaxing these standards—even temporarily—fundamentally undermines the purpose of PDO protection and sets a precedent unlikely to be reversed, risking long-term devaluation of what makes these cheeses distinctive and the traditions that sustain these communities.
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