The foie gras market - France

1.1 Presentation and definition of the market

Foie gras is a specialty food product made from the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by force-feeding corn with 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 about 17 days. Ducks are usually slaughtered at 100 days and geese at 112 days. In Spain and other countries, it is sometimes produced using natural feed [ Artisanfarmers ].

Foie gras is one of the jewels in the crown of the french gastronomy . It is traditionally on the occasion of the holiday season that this product is consumed. 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 palmipede breeders s, the specialist slaughterhouses /generalists and food companies who process and package livers into finished products.

France is, by far, the the world's leading producer, consumer and exporter of foie gras . Domestic production accounts for a very large share of European and even world production. However, the the foie gras market is facing many challenges challenges: image and animal health s, limiting its growth potential for the years to come

It is also a concentrated market since some agricultural cooperatives present throughout the sector dominate the market. Some private parties then occupy a secondary position. The remaining share of production is dispersed between small craft manufacturers ...highly atomized

The foie gras market is highly seasonal . As stated above, the majority of foie gras sales of the brands that dominate the market are made between November and December, the holiday season. However, the dynamism of the market also depends on the ability of the players to stimulate sales throughout the year for example at events using the catering service (corporate events, weddings, etc.)

1.2 The world foie gras market

Key market figures
The Foie gras market is mainly concentrated in Europe, the United States and China, but the increasing availability of foie gras has made it a popular dish in many other parts of the world. Foie gras is a luxury dish, although the foie gras produced by duck liver ...

1.3 The foie gras market in France

Key market figures in France
The production of prepared and preserved goose or duck liver in France was as follows **,*** tonnes in volume in **** according to the Comité interprofessionnel des palmipèdes à foie gras (***) were exported in ****, and **** tons of foie gras preparations were exported in **** [***] .

Source: ****
To meet national demand, ...

2.1 Demand for foie gras in France

Despite the difficult consumption context, foie gras managed to attract additional consumers in ****. In ****, sales of foie gras in mass distribution amounted to ***.* million [***]

Source: ****
The economic and financial situation of households
It has a strong influence on the foie gras market, which remains a festive product. In times of economic ...

2.2 Seasonal consumption

The graph below represents the proportion of searches for a given term in a given region over a given period of time, compared to when it was most searched for (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword has been used less often in the region concerned, and a value of ...

2.3 Producers faced with growing ethical concerns

It is one of the main determinants of the foie gras market in France Households are the first buyers of foie gras . Scientific reports, advocacy by environmental or animal rights NGOs, or certain journalistic investigations are likely to have a significant and lasting impact on sales.
Indeed, as shown in the ...

1.3 Production concentrated in three regions

French foie gras production is based on foie gras farms which can be found in the following areas concentrated in three regions french: the French South-West (***) and Alsace. After the breeders, the following players are involved in the value chain slaughterhouses and manufacturing companies which will produce fresh, semi-cooked or cooked ...

3.2 A French market dominated by agricultural cooperatives

Today in France the market for foie gras producers is highly concentrated but its economic fabric is on the other hand nuked . The market is dominated by agricultural cooperatives holding a large portfolio of brands, which alone account for more than **% of the sector's overall turnover.
They play a complementary role, ...

3.3 Different distribution channels

In ****, more than *,*** tons of foie gras were sold via the mass distribution networks (***) , which is more than **% of national consumption of foie gras by volume. In value terms, these sales represented more than *** million euros [***].
Other distribution channels for domestic production are :
The restorers; The caterers; Agri-food professionals producing ready-made ...

4.1 Typology and labels

Different products
The sales of mass distribution are made up of **% of raw foie gras and **% of processed foie gras (***).
The raw foie gras must still be cooked, prepared and seasoned within one week of purchase. There are three qualities: "extra", "first choice" and "tout venant". The fresh foie gras has ...

4.2 Price ranges per segment type

The average consumer price of foie gras depends first of all on the palmiped type from which the liver is derived Duck foie gras accounts for **% of total national production [***] Goose foie gras, which is more expensive, is only *% of this one. In fact, geese are more expensive to raise and ...

4.3 New trend, foie gras without force-feeding

New ways of making foie gras
It is considered one of the most refined dishes in France, but also one of the most controversial. Foie gras is traditionally made by fattening geese to fatten their livers, a process described as cruel by animal rights groups. But today, French scientists have developed ...

5.1 Control of the composition of foie gras

As foie gras is an integral part of France's gastronomic and cultural heritage, it enjoys de facto legal protection with regard to its composition and origin. The definition of foie gras-based products is detailed in the Decree No. **-*** of * August **** on foie gras preparations communicated by the DGCCRF (***)
The foie ...

5.2 Designations and controls

The origin of foie gras
The protected geographical indication (***). " Canard à foie gras du Sud-Ouest " is an appellation in force since ****. According to a European regulation, duck foie gras must weigh more than ***g.
A decree of ** December ****, amending the decree of * August ****, introduced a mutual recognition clause. Foie gras preparations manufactured ...

5.3 World Customs Nomenclature and Harmonized System

The Harmonized System is an international nomenclature for the classification of products. It allows participating countries to classify goods traded on a common basis for customs purposes. At the international level, the Harmonized System (***) for the classification of goods is a six-digit code system. [***]
The HS includes approximately *,*** item/product descriptions ...

6.1 Segmentation

Valette Foie Gras
Feyel Artzner
Conserverie artisanale Larroque
Castel Foie gras
Arcady’s
Duperier et fils
Labeyrie
CA Holding/Larnaudie
AFG Foie Gras
PassionFroid
Comtesse du Barry
Lou Castelou
Pierre Laguilhon

	Data
Analysts	1 sector analyzed in 40 pages	Method
	Control

the foie gras market | France

Content of the study