Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Like Wisconsin, France is a global leader in making—and eating—cheese.
People in France love their fromage—Camembert, Roquefort, and more than 1,000 other types of cheese made in their country.
The French eat more cheese than residents of any other country in the world, according to a report by the International Dairy Association. The report says the French consume nearly 58 pounds of cheese a year, on average, based on 2023 figures—about 50% more than Americans, who eat an average of 39 pounds of cheese a year. More than 95% of people in France include cheese in their regular diet, and nearly 40% say they eat cheese every day.
France is known for the fine cheeses it produces but it is also one of the world’s largest importers of cheese, second only to Germany.
In 2022, France imported nearly $2.7 billion worth of cheese, primarily from Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany. Together, those three countries provided 69% of the cheese imported by France, according to TrendEconomy. The U.S. was not even among the top 10 countries selling cheese to France.
That opens prospects for cheesemakers in Wisconsin—the No. 1 U.S. state for cheese production. Wisconsin cheesemakers produced 3.5 billion pounds of cheese in 2023, which amounted to 25% of the cheese made nationwide.
France also specializes in cheese production. Laval-based Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world; Danone and Savencia Fromage and Dairy are also major players in the sector. In 2021, France exported nearly $3.8 billion of cheese, making it the fourth largest cheese exporter worldwide.
According to Precision Business Insights, there are about 22,000 cheese producers in France, ranging from large industrial firms to small artisanal producers. The country’s cheese market size was estimated at $1.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $2.3 billion by 2030.
About 80% of the cheese made in France is from cow’s milk, but in the Loire Valley, goat cheese is tops. Almost 70% of the country’s goat cheese production is in the Loire Valley, in central France.
