Environment & Climate

France temporarily relaxes protected food rules following summer drought

Decrees allow livestock farmers to adjust feed requirements and source forage outside traditional zones after historic dry conditions.

Updated Aug 27, 2026 · 20:17 UTC1 reports

The short version

France's government and the National Institute for Origin and Quality (INAO) have issued temporary waivers for several protected cheeses, wines, and produce due to a summer drought.
The exemptions permit producers of cheeses like Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté to reduce pastured grass diets and import feed from outside their traditional geographical zones.
Waivers also extend to other regional specialties, including Normandy ciders, Crémant d'Alsace, Poitou-Charentes lamb, and Reine-Claude plums.
The long-term impact on cheese flavor, production volumes, and the future viability of strict geographical origin labels under climate stress remains to be seen.

French authorities released decrees allowing producers of Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté cheeses to temporarily source feed and forage from outside their strict geographic zones.[BBC News]
Abondance cheese makers were granted permission to lower the required amount of pastured grass in their herd diets from 50% to 15%.[BBC News]
Comté producers were authorized to substitute local green maize given to cattle with maize brought in from other regions.[BBC News]
The INAO approved temporary rule modifications for non-dairy items as well, including Poitou-Charentes lamb, Reine-Claude plums, Crémant d'Alsace, and select Normandy ciders and Calvados.[BBC News]
The INAO characterized the 2026 drought conditions as historic, noting that similar temporary derogations were previously granted following severe dry weather in 2022.[BBC News]

It remains unknown whether the feed modifications will lead to noticeable changes in the taste, quality, overall output volume, or pricing of the affected cheeses.[BBC News]