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French Dairy Pushes Retail Pledge to Favor Local Emmental as Imports Surge

Producers warn cheaper imports threaten farm pay, factory jobs, rural know-how.

Overview

  • Sodiaal says several major retailers have signed a charter to give French‑origin emmental priority on shelves, which it presented to the Senate.
  • Official CNIEL data show emmental imports into France jumped 54% in January year on year, with a near 80% rise measured for February versus a year earlier.
  • Store checks found a 200‑gram pack priced at €1.42 for European emmental versus €1.65 for French, a €0.23 gap that can add about €6 a year for a typical household.
  • Farmers say a lower valuation of emmental would drag down the milk price paid to them, putting thousands of producers and 3,500 plant jobs across 13 sites at risk.
  • The name emmental is protected only in Switzerland, so EU private‑label cheeses can use milk marked “origin Europe,” which helps cut costs and undercut French product.