At temperatures above 40 degrees, cows spend more time lying down, eat less and produce up to 10 percent less milk, which is one of the three main ingredients of the cheese “Parmigiano Reggiano“ (which gained popularity as Parmesan - ed. note), along with salt and rennet, Reuters writes in its material on the future of the production of this dairy product, BTA reported.
The production of authentic “Parmigiano Reggiano“ is allowed in only five provinces in Italy, mainly in the Emilia-Romagna region. The cows whose milk is used must be fed only grass and hay grown in the area.
Fifty years ago, farmers in Emilia-Romagna would open the windows of their barns on summer nights to cool their livestock. Today, when heat waves bring record temperatures, those windows remain open 24/7 to protect the cows and ultimately their milk.
“Extreme heat affects the quality and quantity of milk,“ said Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Consortium for Parmigiano Reggiano. He also runs the family dairy farm, founded in 1895 on the outskirts of Parma.
“If it doesn't rain, the grass doesn't grow, the hay can't be made and it's impossible to get the milk needed to make the cheese,” Bertinelli said. He and other producers have installed fans and water mist systems, but these additional cooling measures have led to a sharp increase in their energy costs.
The rising electricity bills are also affecting the managers of the warehouses where the cheese is stored during the aging process. The minimum period is 12 months, but sometimes it reaches three years or even more.
More than 500,000 Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses, worth more than 300 million euros, are stored in the two warehouses managed by the Credito Emiliano division - Magazzini Generali delle Tagliatelle. (Magazzini Generali delle Tagliate, MGT), in the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena.
“During the peak of the heatwave this year, our daily energy consumption increased by around 30 percent“, said MGT director Giancarlo Ravanetti.“To make our facilities as energy-efficient as possible, we improved cooling systems and boilers, upgraded building insulation and increased renewable energy production,“ he added.“The region's climate-controlled warehouses have become institutions collectively known as the “Bank of Parmigiano“. Behind their walls, technology and tradition go hand in hand.“Each “Parmigiano Reggiano“ undergoes rigorous quality checks, including X-ray scanning to detect any defects. The cheese is checked every week by experts who tap each loaf with small hammers, listening for signs of problems that have arisen during the aging process.
“The human factor remains key and is the real strength of the entire process,“ said Ravanetti.
“If extreme weather events become more prolonged and more intense, this will certainly affect both the quantity and quality of milk and, above all, lead to higher costs,“ said Paolo Ganzerli, director of “International Sales“ at the food group “GranTerre“. The company reported consolidated revenues of 1.87 billion euros in 2025.
The “Parmigiano Reggiano“ industry generates about 4.5 billion euros in annual revenue, provides thousands of jobs and is a major driver of the local economy.
In 2025, exports of the cheese accounted for more than 50 percent of its total sales worldwide, with the United States being the largest foreign market.
“Parmigiano Reggiano“ has been around for more than 800 years,“ Ganzerli said. “We don't want to be the last generation to eat it,“ he added.