France eases cheese rules as drought slashes grassland growth
France temporarily relaxes cheese rules due to drought-reduced grassland and livestock feed.
Event / Environment
France Cheese Production Rules Drought
French government relaxes protected cheese production regulations in response to summer drought affecting dairy cattle feeding and pasture availability.
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2026-08-26 to 2026-11-08 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 26 Aug, 15:05 UTC
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What happened
Permanent grassland growth in France down one-third compared to 30-year average
As of August 10, cumulative growth of permanent pastures was one-third below the average observed on the same date over the 1989-2018 period, according to the statistics service of the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry reported in mid-August that forage conditions were 'severely degraded' in nearly all regions of France.
French government relaxes AOP cheese production rules due to historic drought
The French government authorized temporary exemptions to production rules for Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté cheeses due to summer drought that disrupted dairy cow feeding. The exemptions were formalized in three decrees published in the Official Journal on August 26. For Abondance, producers can significantly reduce the proportion of pasture-fed grass and use more feed from outside the appellation zone. For Beaufort, the required proportion of hay and grass from the production zone is reduced, and supplementary feed is permitted. For Comté, the exemption is more limited: until end of October, green maize can partially come from outside the farm.
French Agriculture Minister to convene emergency meeting on agricultural losses
Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard will convene prefects from across France via videoconference to assess losses from the drought and heatwaves, before unveiling an emergency aid plan on September 3.
INAO grants temporary modifications to multiple protected designation cheeses
The Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), which characterized the current drought as 'historic', granted temporary modifications to several other protected designation (AOP) cheeses including Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, and Fourme d'Ambert. These modifications require official formalization through decrees published in the Official Journal.
French agriculture impacted by severe summer heatwaves and drought
French agriculture suffered significant damage from summer heatwaves and drought, with impacts including struggling tomato and apple production, dried-up pastures, and reduced egg production. Uncertainty remains regarding consequences for production costs and food prices.
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