Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano

The protection consortium for Grana Padano PDO cheese, founded in 1954; since 2002 it has been entrusted by the Ministry with protecting and promoting the designation and informing consumers. Its members are milk producers, cheese dairies, maturers, portioners and graters in the production area. It regulates supply through a production plan: dairies that grow beyond the plan pay extra contributions.

The production area lies in provinces of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and the autonomous province of Trento (the exact boundary is set by the product specification). Consortium membership is voluntary: certified milk producers, cheese dairies, maturers, portioners and graters in the area may join. Under Ministerial Decree 410/2000 every cheese dairy, member or not, pays the PDO tariff ('erga omnes'). As a dairy farmer you are affected indirectly through your cheese dairy.

For members: a one-off admission fee and an equal annual fee (invoiced in December), amounts set by the board. Every cheese dairy (member or not) pays the PDO tariff; for non-members it may not be lower than for members. The production plan (2025–2030) sets extra contributions for growth above the plan. The website gives no amounts — ask directly.

• Legal protection of the PDO and market surveillance
• Marking and quality control under the product specification
• Production plan (supply regulation) to balance the market
• Promotion in Italy and abroad
• Consumer information, sustainability programmes

• granapadano.it — La Governance e lo Statuto
• Statuto del Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano (ottobre 2023)
• granapadano.it — I Consorziati
• Origin Italia — socio (contatti)
• Normattiva — Legge 21 dicembre 1999, n. 526, art. 14 (commi 15–16)