Swiss Cheese Union

[1] Throughout the course of World War I, Switzerland remained neutral and maintained the health of its massive cheese production industry.

Exports of the product suffered in part due to the devastation wrought upon customers in the surrounding countries; these numbers would remain low until after World War II.

The war exacerbated this further as a lack of hay and fodder to use as feed for dairy animals showed sharp decreases in production.

Alpine cheese-making was limited to the summer months, and fondue was thus in the 18th century eaten only by upper class households in small towns in the Jura region and lowland Switzerland; cheese making spread throughout the country in the following century and became easier to make year-round thanks to advances in equipment.

[citation needed] These facts did not stop the Swiss Cheese Union from fabricating an almost infectious enthusiasm for fondue in its marketing materials, drawing on a recipe requiring vast amounts of Swiss cheese and steeped in a narrative of tradition.

After the collapse of the cartel, an explosion of new cheeses from Switzerland came onto the market, from recreations of old recipes to continuations of classics like Sepp helped keep alive.

Dairy subsidies continued, but competition between cheese makers was reintroduced, causing prices to plummet.