Camus closed his farm in the northwestern French region of Normandy to make a fresh start in Russia's Moscow Region. He is planning to settle in the village of Lotoshino with his cows starting in April.
With his nearly one hundred cows, Camus used to sell milk to producers of Camembert cheese. There was even a time when he produced fresh cheese as experiment before dropping this idea.
Camus came up with the idea to move to Russia in 2014, following Crimea's reunification with Russia and subsequent sanctions regime — the European Union imposed sanctions against Moscow, while Russia responded by introducing a food embargo on countries that targeted it with restrictions. The measures affected the dairy industry, among many others.
According to Alexander Nikitin, the president of the Russian union of cheese makers and Camus's partner, this cooperation will be mutually beneficial. The Russian food embargo led to milk shortages in the Russian market, something which has not been compensated.
"Russia really needs specialists in cheese manufacturing," Nikitin told Sputnik.
Dairy farms in France have been suffering in a crisis for over two years due to excessive production. The average income at a farm is a mere 300 euros ($366.7) a month, with many of them closing down as a result.
It was no coincidence that Camus chose the village of Lotoshino in the Moscow Region for his new farm.
"The local administration appeared to be more entrepreneurial," the farmer said.
Moreover, in 1812, the noble Meshchersky family invited Swiss cheese manufacturer Johannes Mueller to Lotoshino to lead the first Russian-based cheese factory. Nikitin believes that together with Camus they will revive the Lotoshino dairy brand.
