French Minister of Agriculture, Stephane Le Foll, praised the historic step taken on May 21st in Geneva for the international protection of Geographical Indications. The 28 member states of the Lisbon Agreement decided by unanimity to extend the current international protection system of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO- also referred to as appellation d’origine controlée […]
Bleu d’Auvergne (Protected Designation of Origin – PDO) is one of the world’s best-known blue cheeses. Named after the central French region from which it originates, the Bleu d’Auvergne, made from cow’s milk, is milder in taste. Indeed, the balance that Bleu d’Auvergne strikes between the traditional potency of blue cheeses and the earthiness it […]
The French Food Quality Observatory’s purpose is to follow the efforts made by agribusiness to sell products with less sodium, fat and sugar. Its objectives: On one hand, it follows the evolution of the nutritional quality of processed food by market segment and on the other hand it strengthens the partnership between public authorities and […]
Terroir, a magical French word! French people talk about it all the time – how much terroir is important for the quality of a wine or a cheese, how a recipe is a recette de terroir … But what exactly do we mean when we use this word? Terroir is a mix between a geographical […]
In France, products like wines, cheeses, butters and other agricultural goods can benefit from seals of quality and origin. These applications have to be validated by public authorities and are then the subject of regular monitoring. Whether it is organic farming label, designations of origin, label rouge or traditional specialty, these seals guarantee to the […]
From September 28 to October 4, a delegation of American farmers from all over the United States toured several regions of France aiming to discover traditional French products and specialties. This “Terroir Tour de France” was an opportunity for American and French producers to exchange and improve their farming techniques. Special attention was also paid […]
Geographic Indications FAQ Q. What are Geographic Indications? A. A geographical indication is a distinctive sign used to identify a product as originating in the territory of a particular country, region or locality where its quality, reputation or other characteristic is linked to its geographical origin. Q. How many types of GIs are there? A. […]
Normandy is located in the Northwest of France, a quick two to three-hours drive from Paris. Agriculture and the food industry are of the utmost importance to the region: almost 10% of the population works in these sectors and three quarters of the Normandy territory is dedicated to agriculture. Normandy boasts approximately 370 miles of […]
France is the cradle of great bovine genetic diversity. 34 cow breeds are currently used in France among which 13 are part of a genetic conservation program. 9 breeds are specifically selected for their meat. Most of those beef breeds derive from draught animals, which began to be selected for their muscular properties, maternal qualities […]
The Montbeliarde and the Normande: two local hardy breeds with a high level of protein in their milk and attractive meat properties In comparison with the Prim’holstein, the Montbeliarde and the Normande (as well as other local hardy breeds) produce less milk, but with a higher protein and/or fat content that makes it a better […]