Summer heat threatens Italy's billion-dollar cheese economy
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Published Aug 11, 2026•Last updated 21 minutes ago•2 minute readYou can save this article by registering for freehere. Orsign-inif you have an account. A worker walks by wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese stored in the ripening department of the Casearia Castelli at the Caseificio Tricolore in Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy. Photo by Getty ImagesSee more Toronto Sun on Google —save as a Preferred SourceSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. 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Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSummer heat waves are putting the squeeze on Italy’s cheese reserves, and it’s having a major impact on a culturally iconic economy that predates da Vinci, Michelangelo and Dante. The weather is affecting “cheese banks” in Emilia-Romagna, where hundreds of thousands of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels are stored as collateral for farm loans. The heat is pushing up warehouse energy bills to keep them refrigerated and thinning out the milk supply to create them. It all affects a billion-dollar economy thatboasts more than a thousand yearsof tradition, strict regulation and artisanal skill. Each wheel of cheese represents months of painstaking labour, patience and maturation. How it worksAccording toEuronews,Credito Emilianotakes young, unmatured wheels of the cheese as collateral, and has done so for more than 70 years. SubsidiaryMagazzini Generali delle Tagliatematures the cheese in Reggio Emilia and Modena, and holds more than 500,000 wheels valued at more than $482 million. Cheese producers get up to 80% of the value of the wheel up front. Parmigiano needs at least 12 months to age, often up to 36 months, which ties up cash smaller dairies can’t spare. Blockchain lets farmers promise wheels while the cheese stays warehoused, which allows more lending capacity, but, due to the recent heat, storing the cheese at proper temperatures has become markedly more difficult and a financial risk. Power consumption at the cheese vaults has climbed 30% during Italy’s heatwaves. The weather has forced the banks to update cooling systems. Since some wheels take three years to mature, every hot summer creates a risk long before the cheese gets sold — and this summer is tracking to be one of the hottest in Italy’s recorded history. How heat affects productionIt starts with the cow. When temperatures reach 40°C, they lie down and eat less, cutting milk yields as much as 10% and affecting the quality of the milk they do produce. Worse still, the cheese can only be made in five Italian provinces because of the hay and grass grown there that the cows feed on, so a heatwave in those areas hits the economy harder. “Extreme heat impacts milk’s quality and quantity,” said Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. Upstream hardships could potentially devastate the economy. Italy produced 4. 19 million wheels in 2025 with a turnover of more than $6 billion, according to theParmigiano Reggiano Consortium. And we gotta have our ParmExperts note that Parmigiano Reggiano is naturally lactose‑free, high in protein and free of additives — and some consider it to be a “superfood. ”International demand has only grownfor the cheese, with Canadian demand growing by 8%. Join the ConversationOntarioToronto & GTAToronto Blue JaysWorldNewsThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more aboutcookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to ourTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.