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Foie gras, the fattened liver of a duck or goose, is part of the cultural and gastronomical heritage of France and has even been protected by law since 2006. While French people enjoy eating this product plain (** percent), their favorite way to eat it is on a slice of bread or toast (** percent).

Production and consumption: instability prevails

Foie gras is a very French product. Indeed, France is the first producer and distributor of foie gras worldwide, as well as the first consumer. National consumption has evolved and fluctuated since the 1980s impacted by habits but also external factors.
In 2015, an avian flu epidemic (H5N1) spread across France, and in 2016, the H5N8 virus, another variant, hit the country once again. As a result, millions of ducks had to be euthanized, which prompted a sizeable reduction of the production: from * tons produced in 2014 to * tons in 2015. Consequently, the virus also caused fear among the population and led consumption to fall to its lowest point since the beginning of the century. Nonetheless, this did not entirely discourage French people from consuming foie gras, and since 2019, the production has been slowly increasing once more.
On the other hand, more than ** percent of French people consider Foie gras to be an essential food item for the end of the year festivities and use words such as "festive," "enjoyable", and "tasty" to describe it. Incidentally, Christmas time is when the percentage of purchasing households in France increases the most, with sales picking up steam in November. December sees the penetration rate of foie gras reaching its highest point: **** percent.

The importance of the French origin

French people are relying on foie gras for its reliable quality, food safety, and its traceability. They also see in Foie gras a traditional meal and therefore French heritage. As this product is mostly “Made in France," it can also increase their expectations in terms of strong proximity with local producers.
In 2019, more than *** million French people bought their Foie gras from independent producers, whereas about *** million people favored supermarket brands, followed by *** million in hard discount. This illustrates French people’s closeness with their local producers.