As the French foie gras industry struggles as a result of the coronavirus, the industry’s national agreement has introduced a crusade to attract tourists to farms this summer in hopes of boosting sales of the fatty delicacy.
The Comité Interprofessionnel des Palmipèdes à Foie Gras or CIFOG has created an interactive map of foie gras farms as part of a wider outreach effort to convince farmers to include the industry in their planning. The campaign also hopes the card will make it easier. for other people to order online directly from certain farms.
“Their order books have been emptied with the closure of restaurants, the banning of markets, and the absence of their farms,” CIFOG said in its statement. “Many of them now find it very difficult to sell their products. “
While the coronavirus has had a major impact on the entire French economy, sales of products considered luxury items such as champagne and foie gras have been hit hard. During the national lockdown, which lasted about two months, foie gras sales fell by as much as 30%, according to CIFOG. For a few weeks now, the market research company IRI, which tracks the buying behaviour of the French, has put the drop at around 70%.
The pandemic is the latest blow to an industry that was already suffering due to a series of adversities. In recent years, foie gras has become an increasing target for animal rights activists, who consider force-feeding ducks and ducks cruel. This has led to expanded foie gras bans in places like California and New York City.
These bans do not directly affect French industry because it does not export to the United States. But its symbol has been greatly affected. CIFOG responded by highlighting the familiarity and rural character of the sector in France, as well as the economic impact of a sector that directly and indirectly employs 100,000 people.
Amid those bans, the industry suffered a major blow in 2016 and 2017 when bird flu forced manufacturers to kill thousands of animals to prevent the spread. And then, last year, French lawmakers passed a rule restricting promotional sales of discounted food products in supermarkets. such as champagne and foie gras, which rely on big holidays like Christmas and New Year’s, saw their sales suffer last year because they couldn’t offer 2-for-1 discounts. CIFOG estimates that foie gras sales from November to January fell 10% compared to last year’s holiday season.
“Because of this new promotion law, last year all of those products were affected,” said Eric Marzec, an analyst at IRI. “Products like champagne and foie gras have been penalized. “
The French foie gras industry is highly concentrated in the south-west and mainly produces duck. In recent decades, foie gras has been marketed all year round, but it is still closely associated with the holidays.
In April, CIFOG launched a national appeal asking the French to buy foie gras for the Easter festivities. Newspapers across the country saw advertisements imploring other people to eat foie gras. The industry also participated in a national program to prepare Easter foods for physical care workers.
More recently, CIFOG launched an online series to promote foie gras. The videos show chefs making their favorite recipes based on foie gras, as well as other duck-related products, such as duck breast and confit.
Right now, foie gras stocks are increasing as sales decline. The good news is that the product has a long shelf life. Restaurants, a key source of sales, often reopen. And there is some optimism that the economic recovery will be sufficient. to allow for a more potent holiday season at the end of the year.
But for now, the fear is that manufacturers will have to cut production this year, which will continue to have a ripple effect on rural economies as a whole.
“This activity contributes to the economic activity of these very rural regions,” CIFOG said in a statement. “These families in a way that is and that fits with the spirit of local culture in the progression of green and gastronomic tourism in our country. “