The foie gras market - France

1.2 The global foie gras market

Key figures for the world market

The foie gras market is mainly concentrated in Europe, the USA and China. However, the growing availability of foie gras is making it a popular dish in more and more parts of the world. Foie gras is considered a luxury ingredient, although foie gras produced from duck liver is slightly less expensive than that produced from goose liver. The global foie gras market was valued at $*,***.* million in **** and is expected to reach $*,***.* million by ****, growing at a CAGR of *.*% between **** and ****[***]. The market is thus estimated at around $*.* billion in ****.

Foie gras market size World, ****-****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

In ****, over **% of foie gras production will come from the European Union. Other countries where foie gras is produced are mainly China, the United States and Canada.

Breakdown of foie gras production Europe, ****, in Source: ****

The foie gras market in Europe.

In ****, **,*** tonnes of foie gras were produced in the EU, the vast majority of it duck foie gras. The industry generates over **,*** direct jobs in the EU. According to Eurostat, intra-Community trade represented *** million euros in ****, up ** million euros on ****. Exports of foie gras from the EU to third countries amounted to ...

1.3 The foie gras market in France

Key market figures for France

In ****, France's production of goose and duck liver preparations and preserves totaled **,*** tons in volume[***]. In ****, France exported **% of its production, generating foreign sales of ** million euros.

Main export customer countries France, ****, in Source: ****

To meet domestic demand, *,*** tonnes of foie gras were imported in ****, up +**% on the previous year.these foie gras mainly come from Bulgaria and Hungary.

Pro

Production is down sharply on the **,*** tonnes produced in ****, as the sector has suffered severely from repeated episodes of the avian flu epidemic, followed by the Covid-** crisis. What's more, the market has contracted since the first decade of the ****s, with the sector still representing sales of * billion euros in ****. The drop in production due to avian flu and the mass slaughter of palmipeds has led to a scarcity of products and an increase in their price, which has offset the drop in production for manufacturers, partly for fresh foie gras and completely for canned foie gras.

duck and goose foie gras production trends France, ****-****, in thousands of tons Source: ****

Declining sales in recent years

As a result of the after-effects of the avian flu that struck farms in previous years, the industry has ...

1.4 The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the foie gras market

Foie gras did not enjoy a strong resilience to the Covid-**-induced health crisis. Indeed, Michel Fruchet, President of the Centre Interprofessionnel du Foie Gras, said: "With restaurants closed and no foreign customers in Paris for the whole summer of ****, consumption is down by **-**%. The cancellation of numerous events, and the inability of many Michelin-starred restaurants to open for extended periods of time, have all taken their toll on foie gras consumption in France.

As for exports, the situation has been much the same, since the main customers for foie gras are Japan, Belgium and Spain, * countries which, according to Marieaccording to Marie-Pierre Pé (***), this has resulted in a drop in the usual demand from these countries. [***]

However, the foie gras market is holding up well in the face of avian influenza and the Covid crisis, thanks in large part to the French people's deep attachment to this traditional met, illustrated by strong increases in purchases during the festive season: +**.*% from December ** to **, **** and +**.*% from December **, **** to January *, **** in supermarkets and hypermarkets. [***]

2.1 Demand for foie gras in France

French foie gras consumption

In ****, * out of ** French people will be eating foie gras. [***]

The majority (***) of foie gras is purchased as a semi-cooked product.

Foie gras purchase format France, ****, in % [FranceAgriMer Source: ****

Foie gras, a quality product that inspires confidence

For **% of French people, the "Foie Gras de France" logo is an incentive in the purchasing process. **% of French people are reassured about its origin and traceability.

Generally speaking, foie gras is a product that inspires confidence in the French, whether in terms of gustatory qualities, food safety, traceability or production.

French confidence in foie gras France, ****, in Source : CIFOG / CSA In France, foie gras is not only an important economic sector, but also an emblem of French know-how and gastronomy. **% of French people believe that foie gras contributes to the influence of the art of living and French gastronomic culture.

Households' economic and financial situation

As a recognized quality product, even a luxury ingredient, the financial situation of households has a strong influence on the foie gras market, which remains a festive product. In times of economic difficulty, French households will forego this expenditure. According to Kantar Worldpanel, foie gras is one of the products whose demand has been ...

2.2 Seasonal consumption

The graph below shows the proportion of searches for the term "foie gras" in France, in relation to when it was most searched for (***). In recent years, demand has been highly cyclical, peaking at Christmas and New Year.

Evolution of interest for the search "foie gras" on Google France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

Every year, foie gras is one of the must-have foods and beverages during the French Christmas meal . In ****, for **% of those surveyed, a Yule log was part of a successful Christmas meal. This percentage rises to **% for foie gras. This trend is stable over the years for foie gras, while the log has lost almost ** points in this survey in recent years.

Breakdown of essential foods for Christmas dinner France, ****, in % Source: ****

Out-of-home catering

This is a major outlet for foie gras manufacturers, and plays a key role in correcting the seasonality of consumption. In fact, outside the holiday season, the continued availability of foie gras as a starter or certain recipes involving foie gras as a main course (***) on restaurant menus provides a significant outlet for manufacturers

In order to escape the variability of sales, producers are increasingly trying to decorrelate their sales cycles from holiday periods, ...

2.3 Producers face growing ethical concerns

This is one of the main drivers of the foie gras market in France. Households are the main purchasers of foie gras. Scientific reports, pleas from environmental or animal rights NGOs, or certain journalistic investigations are likely to have a significant and lasting impact on sales. Indeed, as the graphs below show, reporting French consumers' responses to a survey on goose force-feeding in ****, the French are sensitive to the treatment of ducks and geese in foie gras production.

As a result, manufacturers are seeking to enhance the image of foie gras by relying on quality and transparency labels, or by positioning themselves in the "organic" segment.

On the other hand, the typically French character of foie gras is very much in its favor, and responds to households' desire to consume more locally and to promote national production. Furthermore, in ****, **% of French people have confidence in the way foie gras is produced. [***]

Do you think that force-feeding ducks and geese to produce foie gras is a source of suffering for the animals? France, ****, in Source: ****

Concerning the foie gras production method, would you say you are in favor or against force-feeding? France, ****, in Source: ****

While foie gras producers will continue to be ...

3.1 A production system concentrated in three regions

The foie gras production value chain

Source: ****

Geographical distribution of foie gras production

French foie gras production is based on foie gras palmiped farms, which are concentrated in three French regions: southwestern France (***) and Alsace. After the breeders, the next step in the value chain is the slaughterhouses and processing plants that produce fresh, semi-cooked or cooked foie gras from the raw foies gras.

Regional breakdown of breeding capacity in foie gras production France, ****, as % of total Source: ****

Trend in the breakdown of fattened poultry production France, ****-****, in thousands of head Source: ****

In ****, **,*** tons of raw foie gras were produced in France. Production was hit hard by avian influenza epizootics in ****, **** and again in **** and ****. As a result, it is down **% over the ****-**** period compared with the average for the previous five years (***). [***]

3.2 A French market dominated by agricultural cooperatives

In ****, France will have no fewer than *,*** foie gras producers. The market is dominated by agricultural cooperatives with a broad portfolio of brands, which together account for over **% of the sector's total sales.

Other players, in order of importance, include

a few subsidiaries of mass retail groups producing foie gras for private label; a few private agri-food groups; a very large number of small family-run or local producers, SMEs and VSEs who sell their production locally or to larger players.

Breakdown of market share for the main players in foie gras France, ****, in Source: ****

Building on their historic control of the upstream end of the industry (***) is likely to be negatively impacted by avian influenza, which caused the company to lose *.* million ducks over the year. In response, a merger between the two cooperatives Euralis and Maïsadour is currently being studied to strengthen their positions in the sector. [***]

A number of private agri-food groups, such as CA Holding (***), are also maintaining a strong position, backed by strong brands. Alongside these major groups, a myriad of independent SMEs and VSEs market their products locally, or resell them to supermarket chain brands.

In ****, * companies in the sector, each slaughtering more than * million ...

3.3 Different distribution channels

The majority of national foie gras consumption is channeled through supermarket networks. In ****, *,*** tonnes were sold in hypermarkets and supermarkets, down *.*% on the previous year. For the **** festive season, supermarket sales were down **.*% in volume compared to the **** season, but only *% in value. This shows that the segment is holding up well in supermarkets and hypermarkets, following a sharp **% drop in production due to an avian epizootic. [***]

In ****, hypermarkets ranked first, with **.*% of foie gras sold by volume, compared with **.*% in ****. Supermarkets came second, with **.*% of sales, compared with **.*% in ****. In ****, it was found that around *.** million people consumed foie gras from independent producers.

Other distribution channels for domestic production are:

Restaurateurs ; Caterers; Food industry professionals producing prepared dishes or products based on foie gras (***). Online sales specialists Direct sales producers

Breakdown of foie gras brand types France, ****-****, in millions of consumers Source: ****

4.1 Typology and labels

Different products

Raw foie gras accounts for **% of supermarket sales, and processed foie gras (***) for **%.

Raw foie gras must still be cooked, prepared and seasoned within a week of purchase. It comes in three qualities: "extra", "premier choix" and "tout venant". Fresh foie gras has been lightly cooked (***) and is sold in the delicatessen department vacuum-packed, in terrines or by the slice. It should be consumed within a week of purchase. Semi-cooked foie gras, also known as semi-preserved, comes in jars, terrines, tins or vacuum packs. It is sterilized at low temperature (***). It can be kept for up to * months. Canned foie gras comes in jars or tins. Sterilized at around ***°C, it can be kept for several years

Labels and appellations

In addition to the characteristics described above, PGI (***) and labels add a further element of positioning to our products. These labels are highly sought-after by consumers, who, concerned with issues of hygiene, product quality and animal welfare, are very sensitive to foie gras production methods.

The IGP foie gras du Sud-Ouest certifies that palmipeds have been raised, killed and processed in south-west France. It requires manufacturers to comply with a set of specifications (***); Label rouge foie gras des Landes ...

4.2 Price ranges by segment type

The average consumer price of foie gras depends primarily on the type of palmiped from which the liver comes. Duck foie gras accounts for **% of total national production[***]. More expensive goose foie gras accounts for only *%. In fact, geese are more expensive to raise and force-feed than ducks.

The price then depends on the type of product concerned, designated by designations governed by strict regulations.

The top end of the market is occupied by "whole foie gras", consisting of a whole foie gras or one or more lobes with seasoning. In the mid-range,"foie gras" is a preparation of several pieces of lobes (***) agglomerated and seasoned. Finally, " bloc de foie gras" refers to a preparation obtained by emulsifying foie gras and water (***). The preparation is then seasoned and molded.

Other foie gras-based preparations include parfait de foie gras (***). [***]

Finally, price depends on the degree of processing and packaging.

Raw foie gras costs between €** and €** a kilo to buy, but then has to be cooked and prepared[***].

Here are the year-on-year price trends for extra, premium and standard duck foie gras, as recorded by FranceAgriMer at Rungis Market:

Foie gras price trends at Rungis Market France, ****-****, in € /kg Source: ****

4.3 New trends: foie gras without force-feeding

New ways to make foie gras

It's considered one of France's finest delicacies, but also one of its most controversial. Traditionally, foie gras is made by force-feeding geese to fatten their livers, a process described as cruel by animal rights groups. Today, however, French scientists have developed an alternative production method that they consider more ethical[***].

This involves injecting geese with a single dose of serum when they are just two days old. The serum contains natural bacteria that trigger fat storage, mimicking the same process by which geese fatten up before migrating for the winter. Thanks to the injection, goose livers become fatter without the need for force-feeding. Aviwell, the company behind the process, hopes to start selling its ethical foie gras later this year, targeting in particular markets where the product has been banned or restricted for animal welfare reasons[***]. Traditional foie gras production has been banned in countries such as the UK, Finland and Poland, while in the US, sales of the product have been banned in California and New York.

Ethical foie gras

Labourdette "Foie Naturellement Gras" is a seasonal product, only available in winter. This product is smaller than that obtained by force-feeding. Labourdette Foie Gras ...

5.1 Controlling 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 as regards its composition and origin. The definition of foie gras-based products is set out in Decree no. **-*** of August *, **** on foie gras-based preparations à base de foie gras communicated by the DGCCRF (***).

Foie gras must come exclusively from geese or ducks. These are force-fed for a limited period, usually with a water- and corn-based preparation, so as to induce fat storage in the liver (***). The decree includes the names of products whose only raw materials are foie gras. According to the DGCCRF website, these include

"Whole foie gras": preparations composed of a whole foie gras or one or more lobes of foie gras and a seasoning; "Foie gras": preparations composed of agglomerated pieces of foie gras lobes and a seasoning; "Bloc de foie gras" : preparations composed of reconstituted foie gras and a seasoning.

There are also names for products based on foie gras, this time processed. In this type of product, other ingredients are added, and the appellation "foie gras" can only be used if the product respects a strict percentage of foie gras in its composition. According to the ...

5.2 Designations and controls

Where foie gras comes from

Protected Geographical Indication (***). "Canard à foie gras du Sud-Ouest" has been in force since ****. According to European regulations, 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 or marketed in other member states may be marketed as suchin France, but only if their composition and manufacturing process are substantially the same as those for foie gras preparations as defined in Decree no. **-***.

Inspections carried out

Products are inspected annually, both during the production process and during distribution. Foie gras blocks and preparations containing foie gras, such as pâtés, mousses, galantines and other duck or goose liver specialties, are inspected for quality.

5.3 World customs nomenclature and harmonized system

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

The HS comprises around *,*** item/product descriptions, which appear as headings and subheadings, divided into ** chapters, grouped into ** sections.

It was introduced in **** and has been adopted by most of the world's countries. It has undergone several changes in product classification. These changes are called revisions, and came into force in ****, ****, ****, **** and ****. Detailed changes to each HS nomenclature are available on the links below.

The following fields are used to compile foreign trade and market calculation statistics for this study:

For foreign trade[***]:

NC* ******** - Domestic duck livers, fresh or chilled CN* ******** - Domestic goose livers, fresh or chilled CN* ******** - Fatty livers of domestic ducks, frozen CN* ******** - Fatty livers of domestic geese, frozen CN* ******** - Preparations based on goose or duck liver (***)

6.1 Segmentation

• Valette
• Feyel Artzner
• Conserverie artisanale Larroque
• Castel Foie gras
• Arcady’s Restauration
• Duperier et fils
• Labeyrie
• Jean Larnaudie Groupe
• AFG Foie Gras
• Pomona Groupe (Passion Froid)
• Comtesse du Barry
• Lou Castelou
• Pierre Laguilhon
• Euralis
• Delpeyrat
• Maïsadour
• Maison Biraben
• Pré aux Canards
• GODARD-CHAMBON ET MARREL
• Maison Dubernet (Groupe Bertrand)
• Lafitte Foie Gras
• Maison Montfort
• LE VIEUX CHENE
• Ernest Soulard
• Maison Dandieu
• Maison Sudreau
• Maison Paris
• Les Délices de Saint-Orens, Ferme de Jeansarthe
• Grolière
• Foie Gras Luxe - Foie Gras & Co
• Foie Gras Gourmet
• Euralis Gastronomie - Rougie Fois Gras
• Cavac Coopérative groupe
• Castaing et fils