Italy's cheese industry is under mounting pressure as temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius cut cow milk yields by up to 10 percent and degrade quality, threatening a sector that generates roughly €4.5 billion in annual revenue and exported more than half its production in 2025, chiefly to the United States.
Drought has compounded the strain. Water levels in the Po River are near 70 percent below their long-term average, leaving reserves sufficient for only about a week of irrigation before saltwater intrusion forced authorities to halt watering altogether. With regional rules requiring cows to be fed exclusively on local grass and hay, farmers are installing costly fans and misting systems to protect herds, driving energy expenses higher. During heat peaks in 2026, daily power consumption at Magazzini Generali delle Tagliate, which stores over 500,000 cheese wheels worth more than €300 million, jumped 30 percent.
The heatwave's ecological toll is also widening: water temperatures in the Po Delta reached 32 degrees, decimating shellfish populations weeks earlier than usual.