#Don'tTouchComté: Beyond the controversy, what is the environmental impact of this cheese?

It's a cheese controversy the likes of which only the French political class knows how to produce. Since the publication on Saturday, May 10, of an article in Le Figaro magazine that highlights the alleged desire of "environmentalists" – dubbed "Khmer Greens" – to ban Comté cheese, the entire French right has been outraged and has stepped up to defend the production of this cheese, among the most consumed in France. From the Republicans' presidential candidate, Laurent Wauquiez, to the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, many officials have expressed their support, using the hashtag #TouchePasAuComté, which has been adopted by the prefect of Jura.

In reality, Le Figaro magazine extrapolated to "environmentalists" questions raised by naturalist Pierre Rigaux, in a radio segment of the program "La Terre au carré", broadcast on France Inter on April 24. The activist then questioned the interest of continuing to consume Jura cheese, despite the environmental problems caused by the high concentration of livestock farms around the rivers of Franche-Comté and raised the question of the animal exploitation induced by this sector. His position was personal and at no time did Pierre Rigaux speak of a ban.

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