Overview
- Ecologist Pierre Rigaux criticized Comté cheese production for polluting waterways and labeled it environmentally harmful during an April radio appearance.
- Producers and officials, including the Prefect of Jura and Comité interprofessionnel de gestion du comté, have defended the cheese, citing its strict production standards and cultural significance.
- Marine Tondelier, leader of Les Ecologistes, clarified that no call to ban Comté has been made and acknowledged the industry's cooperative values while noting environmental concerns.
- Investigations into wastewater issues led to fines for two fromageries in 2022, with a 2024 compliance report stating that nearly all facilities have upgraded their treatment systems.
- Comté, France's best-selling AOP cheese, supports 14,000 jobs and relies on sustainable farming practices, but environmental groups argue that increased production impacts nitrate levels in rivers.