Historic heat waves are putting French dairy cows that normally graze outdoors in summer under heat-related stress.
Prolonged periods of drought are scorching French pastures, leeching them of their usual lush green vitality and leaving behind parched, lifeless yellow fields.
And French farmers bound by strict cheesemaking regulations are having to buy extra feed to supplement the animals’ diets.
Some of France’s most beloved artisanal cheeses are under threat from the effects of climate change, scientists and cheesemakers warn.
“Before, we used to have a problem with the grass every 15-20 years,” says Laurent Lours, who has been a dairy farmer and cheesemaker for 35 years. “Now, it’s about every other year. And it’s getting worse.”
