France relaxes cheese-making feed rules amid severe drought

Severe dry conditions have crippled pasture growth across France, with the Agriculture Ministry noting a drop to roughly one-third of the 1989-2018 average. In response, officials announced temporary permission for farms making Abondance, Beaufort and Comté to feed their cows with additional grain and imported fodder, a departure from the strict grazing rules tied to Protected Designation of Origin status. The National Institute of Origin and Quality will extend similar short-term relief to cheeses such as Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d’Auvergne and Fourme d’Ambert.

The drought, affecting 95 percent of mainland France in July, has also reduced the corn harvest to its lowest level since 1980 and accelerated wine harvests. Scientists attribute the extreme dryness primarily to climate change-driven heat rather than a lack of rain.