Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano

The protection consortium for Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese, based in Reggio Emilia. It protects and promotes the designation, monitors the market, manages the marks and runs a supply-regulation plan. Its members are dairy farmers, cheese dairies (caseifici) and maturers and portioners in the production area.

The production area is the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena, Bologna left of the river Reno and Mantua right of the river Po. Consortium membership is voluntary: certified milk producers, cheese dairies and maturers/portioners in the area may join. Under Law 526/1999 and Ministerial Decree 410/2000, the cheese dairies' share of the costs is paid by every cheese dairy, member or not ('erga omnes'). As a dairy farmer you are affected indirectly through your cheese dairy; if you are a member, the milk producers' contribution may not exceed that category's share of representation.

The annual all-inclusive contribution is set by the board and approved by the general assembly in proportion to the quantity of product checked or certified. Non-member cheese dairies also pay the dairy category's share, and it may not be lower than for members. In case of overproduction the supply-regulation plan can add extra contributions. The website gives no amount — ask directly.

• Legal protection of the PDO and market surveillance
• Management of the Parmigiano Reggiano marks, grading
• Supply-regulation plan to balance production and market
• Promotion in Italy and abroad
• Dairy finder and consumer information

• parmigianoreggiano.com — Statuto del Consorzio
• parmigianoreggiano.com — Contatti
• Origin Italia — socio
• Normattiva — Legge 21 dicembre 1999, n. 526, art. 14 (commi 15–16)