France’s drought and heatwave crisis has forced the government to relax strict grazing rules for producers of iconic cheeses like Comté, Beaufort, and Abondance, as parched pastures leave cows with no grass to eat. The move follows warnings from dairy workers that extreme weather threatens traditional production methods, with Comté alone accounting for tens of thousands of tonnes of output annually. Temporary exemptions will allow farmers to supplement cows’ diets while maintaining cheese quality under pressure. The decision highlights how climate shifts are disrupting long-standing agricultural practices in France.
Comté, beaufort and abondance makers can temporarily supplement cows’ diets as there is ‘no grass left to eat’Strict production rules will be loosened for some of France’s most famous cheeses after drought and repeated heatwaves dried out grazing pastures, threatening the livelihoods of traditional dairy workers.Comté, a hard cheese made from raw cows’ milk in the Jura mountains, is France’s top-selling traditional cheese, with more than 62,000 tonnes produced last year. The government announced on Wednesday that its producers would be granted a temporary change to strict rules on grazing after farmers said extreme heat had scorched their pastures, putting production at risk. Continue reading...
