• With the drought, many vegetable products but also cheeses could not respect the criteria of the signs of protected designation of origin (PDO), controlled designation of origin (AOC) or protected geographical indication ( PGI).

  • This is the case of the Menton lemon, a large part of the harvest of which does not reach the requested size.

  • Requests for changes to the specifications are then in progress to allow producers to keep the sign if the quality is not affected.

A bark “provided with essential oils”, an epidermis “from light to dark yellow, luminous” and “a clear juice with yellow reflections”.

This is how you recognize a lemon from Menton, this town on the Italian border, in the Alpes-Maritimes, which obtained, in October 2015, the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

But to be classified, the specifications induce that it should be between 53 and 90 mm.

“We have a large part of the production which is between 45 and 53 this year, exclaims Stéphane Constantin, president of the association for the promotion of lemons in Menton.

This second consecutive year of drought is having an impact on the development of the trees and therefore on the fruits.

»

Since obtaining the PGI, around 10% of the lemons on the trees have been "downgraded".

“This season, we estimate that we will be between 30 and 40%, continues the director of the association.

However, they have the same taste potential.

What sets them apart is the price.

With the mention, they are between 8 and 11 euros per kilo.

Make two grades of Menton lemon

To avoid too big a loss for the producers, of which about sixty would be concerned, the association is in discussion with the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) to “modify the specifications”.

"We would like to distinguish two categories: the fruit for the mouth, which respects all of today's criteria, and the fruit for processing to use the smallest sizes", affirms Stéphane Constantin.

This is what the producers of Espelette pepper obtained, in the Basque Country, also affected by the drought.

“Normally, peppers should not be irrigated, but the situation was such that if nothing was done, all was lost, informs Carole Ly, acting director of the INAO.

For products that had not grown enough, the variation allowed them to be AOC AOP only for the industry, but not for sale fresh.

»

But unlike the demand for lemons from Menton, this modification of the specifications is only temporary and “valid until the next campaign”, specifies the director of the institute.

“It is possible to make these exceptional requests for climatic or health reasons,” she continues.

A commission then investigates whether this revision does not affect the quality of the product.

»

More than 30 PDO cheeses out of 51 have requested changes

Concerning “vegetable”, less than ten producer groups raised problems and changes for this year.

The biggest requests concern AOP cheeses.

Out of 51 cheeses classified, around thirty requested a revision.

"The Massif Central but also the Jura have been strongly affected by the drought with yellow pastures", observes Carole Ly.

And to produce under a sign of quality and origin, producers must respect sometimes strict criteria, such as feeding the cows in the geographical area indicated.

Thus, some have had to transform their production of AOP Salers into AOP Cantal farmer because they could not feed their animals with 75% grass, as the appellation requires.

“These criteria have been made difficult to meet this year with the climatic conditions, specifies the director of the INAO.

On these points cited, a temporary modification until the spring has been granted.

Saint-Nectaire benefited from a derogation to keep its appellation, which made it possible to reduce the number of days when the cows are grass-fed from 150 days to 90 and thus keep the appellation.

Experiments for the quality signs of tomorrow

The institute which awards these guarantees of quality and origin to products claims to be aware of the upheavals linked to global warming and to work closely with the players concerned.

"The most advanced are the winegrowers who are experimenting with new ways of cultivating the vines of tomorrow, in the face of drought, to know which grape variety to use, how to work the soil to retain water", explains the interim director.



This sector is therefore currently exploring seven major themes linked to climate change to “bring out a way of producing without affecting know-how and quality”, and in particular “through innovation”.

"To introduce these experiments without losing the benefit of the sign, the INAO with scientific monitoring and a committee of professionals on a special commission, authorized the sale of the wine despite everything", indicates Carole Ly.

She concludes: “We are working over time to eventually adapt to these new challenges and be more resilient to climate or health shocks while keeping the fundamentals and maintaining product quality.

»

Gastronomy

Nice: After the case of the false pans-bagnats, they want a law to (also) protect the recipes

Nice

Nice: "You have to be ready to go hiking every day", the (a bit special) harvest begins in the hills of Bellet

  • Planet

  • Nice

  • Paca

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

  • Feed

  • Agriculture