News - AOP producers call to save our cheese heritage

Cheese producers are particularly suffering from the lockdown.

In the midst of the health crisis, the president of the National Council of Dairy Designations of Origin (PDO cheeses, cream, butter) is warning of the catastrophic economic situation in the sector across France: the drop in sales can represent 80%, or even 100%, of production for some farm producers.

With the emergence of Covid-19 in our daily lives, consumers have turned to basic foods, at the expense of the "pleasure" products they used to buy. Moreover, most markets, dairy shops, and cut-price sections—which account for 50% of our PDO sales—are now closed.

The situation is dire for farm producers and small dairies, who cannot redirect their milk to other production processes (unlike large industrial groups). They are therefore appealing to us, as consumers.

As Michel Lacoste, a Cantal breeder and President of the National Council of Dairy Appellations of Origin, says: "It's a tragedy for our culture and our land. Because beyond food, PDOs carry know-how, meaning and thousands of years of history..."