France eases cheese rules over drought

France has temporarily relaxed its strict rules for producing some of its most famous cheeses due to a severe drought that has left pastures bare and fodder scarce. The government announced on Wednesday, August 26, that producers of Abondance, Beaufort, and Comté cheeses will be allowed to supplement their cows' diets with feed from outside their traditional grazing areas. The measures are a response to the widespread drought that affected 95 percent of mainland France in July, which has left normally rich grasslands depleted.