The foie gras market - France

Foie gras is a specialty food product made from the liver of a duck or goose. Under French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by force-feeding corn through a feeding tube, a process also known as gavage. Ducks are force-fed twice a day for 12.5 days, and geese three times a day for around 17 days. Ducks are generally slaughtered at 100 days and geese at 112 days. In Spain and other countries, foie gras is sometimes produced using natural feed[Artisanfarmers]. Foie gras is one of the jewels in the crown of French gastronomy. It is traditionally eaten during the festive season. The foie gras market in France is structured around the processing and marketing of foie gras from palmipeds, mainly ducks and secondarily geese. It brings together palmiped breeders, specialized/general slaughterhouses and food processing companies that transform and package the livers into finished products. France is by far the world's leading producer, consumer and exporter of foie gras. National production accounts for a very large share of European and even world production. However, the foie gras market faces a number of challenges: image and animal health, limiting its growth potential for years to come. French foie gras production remained stable during the first half of the 2010s, before falling between 2016 and 2017. The following years were marked by production growth, which was quickly curbed by the health crisis.

It's also a concentrated market, dominated by a handful of agricultural cooperatives present across the entire sector. A few private groups occupy a secondary position. The remainder of production is dispersed among small, highly fragmented artisanal manufacturers. The foie gras market is highly seasonal. As mentioned above, the majority of foie gras sales by the market's leading brands take place between November and December, during the festive season. However, the market's dynamism also relies on the ability of players to stimulate sales throughout the year, for example at catered events (corporate events, weddings, etc.)