France’s National Institute for Origin and Quality has granted temporary exemptions from traditional production requirements for multiple protected designation of origin cheeses following an exceptionally severe drought during the summer.
The affected cheeses include Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté from eastern France, along with Cantal, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Reblochon, and Rocamadour. Under the temporary dispensations, producers may source forage from locations outside their designated geographical zones and supplement livestock feed with imported hay and grass. Abondance cheese makers, for instance, will be permitted to reduce the proportion of pastured grass in cattle diets from 50 percent to 15 percent, while Comté producers may substitute local green maize with varieties sourced elsewhere.
The exemptions extend beyond cheese to other protected products, including specific Calvados and cider varieties from Normandy, Crémant d’Alsace sparkling wine, lamb from Poitou-Charentes, and Reine-Claude plums. Protected designations of origin ordinarily include strict regulations governing production location and methodology, requirements that traditionally ensure products maintain their distinctive character linked to their specific geographical and cultural origins—a concept known as terroir.
French and European law permits such derogations during periods of exceptional weather. Similar measures were implemented following the drought of 2022. Officials have characterized this year’s drought as historically significant. The adjustments aim to support farmers during an acute shortage while preserving production capacity.
The temporary modifications raise longer-term questions regarding the sustainability of existing protected designation frameworks. If climate patterns increasingly prevent traditional production in established regions, the foundational concept of terroir may require fundamental reconsideration across France and other food-producing nations.
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