France is begging its citizens to “eat more cheese” for their country, in order to save the nation’s famous cheesemaking industry from total collapse. And if that’s not every food lover’s dream, we don’t know what is.

The country’s coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive decline in cheese sales leaving dairy farmers with thousands of tonnes of wasted produce.

According to CNN, French cheese sales have slumped more than 60% since the beginning of the lockdown, in the period from March 17 to April 10.

The National Council of Appellations of Dairy Origin (CNAOL) – a group for producers of French cheeses protected by the EU’s geographical indication label – launched a campaign this week encouraging French citizens to renew their love affair with le fromage, so that the industry doesn’t go into complete meltdown.

CNAOL president Michel Lacoste, speaking with CNN, estimated that more than 5,000 tonnes of overstock will be left at the end of the pandemic, after French cheese producers revealed this week that they’d gotten rid of thousands of tonnes of high quality cheese by disposing of or destroying it.

According to Politico, some cheese producers have even taken to melting it down and making lower-quality, more storable dairy products like butter and milk powder.

Mr Lacoste said that French consumers had “turned away” from their love of cheese and “turned to basic necessities” since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, leaving the industry facing the potential of a “huge loss.”