America Has An Overabundance Of Cheese According To The USDA

Here's an issue we never thought we'd have: America officially has too much cheese. According to recent data from the USDA and Bloomberg, US cheese inventories have skyrocketed to nearly 1,200, 000,000 pounds, the highest numbers since 1984. But who is to blame for America's sudden voracious appetite for cheddar? In Europe, dairy products—including cheese and butter—have become so cheap that exports to America have climbed steadily.

It isn't all Europe's fault, though. More than half of those one billion-plus pounds of that surplus is American cheese, while about two percent is imported Swiss cheese and the other 48 percent is classified as "other."

Even though an endless stockpile of cheese might sound appetizing, cheap cheese imports spell bad news for both American and European dairy farmers. According to Bloomberg, rock-bottom prices put farmers at risk of going out of business. When farmers go out of business or are forced to sell land, they can't keep up with the cheesy demand. Already dairy farmers are facing huge losses from low prices.

If you're looking for a way to use up all of the excess cheese in your fridge, check out The Daily Meal's 25 Amazing Mac and Cheese Recipes.