France’s National Institute for Origin and Quality has issued temporary waivers to producers of several protected-designation cheeses and other regional products affected by the summer drought conditions. The dispensations allow manufacturers of Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté cheeses from eastern France to source livestock feed from outside their traditionally defined geographical zones and modify production methods that normally remain tightly controlled.
Under the temporary measures, producers of Abondance cheese may reduce the grass content in their animals’ diets from 50 percent to 15 percent and import supplementary forage from outside their region. Comté manufacturers in the Jura mountains have been authorized to replace locally-grown green maize with maize sourced elsewhere. Additional protected products receiving similar accommodations include Cantal, Reblochon, Rocamadour goat cheese, specific Calvados and cider from Normandy, Crémant d’Alsace wine, Poitou-Charentes lamb, and Reine-Claude plums.
Origin certification permits producers to command premium prices for their goods but requires strict adherence to regulations concerning production location and methodology. These standards exist to preserve what the industry refers to as terroir—a concept linking a product’s distinctive characteristics to its geographical location and traditional practices. European and French law permits such regulatory derogations during periods of exceptional weather; comparable exemptions were granted following the dry conditions of 2022.
The INAO has characterized the current drought as historic. Industry observers note that the temporary adjustments may influence the taste, quality, quantity, and pricing of affected products, though the extent remains uncertain. The situation raises broader questions about the long-term sustainability of origin-based labeling systems if climate patterns prevent traditional production methods in established regions.
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