Zu heiß und trocken: Frankreichs Schneckenbauern bangen wegen Hitze um Ernte

Francois Schneckenbauern are worried about their crop due to extreme heat and drought conditions in France. According to Anthony Garnier, a representative from the National Federation of French Snail Farmers (FNHF), snails prefer cool and humid conditions. This year, with a prolonged and unprecedented heatwave that reached up to 37.8 degrees Celsius in May, and subsequent periods of extreme heat, the situation has become dire for French snail farmers.

The snail-rearing process typically spans over 120 days, starting in April, with harvests usually beginning in September. However, due to the current circumstances, the farmer has already started collecting snails. Unfortunately, dried snails have been found by farmers, causing distress, and a larger number of snails have been consumed by birds and other animals due to lack of food elsewhere.

France Info reported that snails face immense difficulty moving from the sun to the shade, as their shells are not yet dense enough, leading to dehydration and ultimately the death of the snails inside their shells. The severity of this year's harvest remains uncertain, and a reliable estimate cannot be made at this stage by the farmer.

Snails are particularly popular as a delicacy in France, especially around Christmas. According to authorities, about 15,000 tons of processed snails were available on the market in 2020, of which only a fraction comes from approximately 500 local farmers. 95% of the snails consumed in France are imported, primarily from Romania.