France relaxes cheese-making rules following severe drought

France has temporarily relaxed strict production rules for several of its most famous protected cheeses due to a historic drought. The lack of available pasture has forced the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) to grant exemptions to allow farmers to use feed brought in from outside their traditional geographical zones.

Specific changes have been applied to Comté, Beaufort, and Abondance cheeses. For instance, Abondance producers can now reduce the minimum share of fresh grazed grass in a cow’s diet from 50 percent to 15 percent. Beaufort producers are permitted to source only half of their forage locally rather than the required 70 percent.

Other protected products, including Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Reblochon, and certain Normandy ciders and Calvados, are also expected to receive similar waivers to mitigate the impact of the summer heat and degraded fodder supplies.