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This year, the meeting circumstances for the General Assembly (GA) of Euro Foie Gras are very special. Although European countries are slowly starting to ease the quarantine measures, it is still too early to gather and travel. The GA will therefore be held virtually on Wednesday, May 27th in order to respect the sanitary measures put in place to fight against the coronavirus.

This GA is taking place in a difficult climate for the agricultural sector, and in particular for foie gras, which has seen its sales decrease during this period of quarantine due in particular to the closure of restaurants. It is therefore essential to bring together the various national representatives to work together to revive the sector.

The GA will also provide an opportunity to discuss other subjects of great importance such as market prospects and priorities for the second semester. 

In times of quarantine, the internet allows us to keep in touch with our beloved ones, but also to keep up to date with current events. Interpalm, the Spanish interprofessional association of fat palmipeds, has used this time of quarantine to launch its #FoieGrasEspañol campaign of promotion of foie gras, a sector hard hit by the coronavirus crisis. In addition to a new website, Interpalm is also launching a contest to win foie gras or other duck products (more details below).

A new website: elfoiegras.es

Interpalm’s new website is online! It gathers information about Spanish production, foie gras and its by-products. This site also offers recipes and tips to cook this tasty dish in different ways. Indeed, foie gras can be easily preserved in jars or vacuum packed, and is therefore an ideal product to bring conviviality in these times of quarantine. In addition, consumers can find the contacts of Spanish producers in order to buy their products.

Earn 250 euros in duck products

An Instagram contest launched by Interpalm can allow you to win Spanish duck products for a value of 250 euros!

How to participate?

1) Follow the account @todoelfoiegras on Instagram

2) Like the contest’s publication

3) Post a picture or video of your foie gras and/or derived products-based dish, as well as a description of the recipe, mention @todoelfoiegras as well as a person with whom you would like to share your dish with.

The winner will receive a batch of foie gras and Spanish products derived from the duck worth 250 euros, to be used to cook tasty recipes at home. You can participate several times until 4 May. Good luck, and be creative!

Two hashtags: # FoieGrasEspañol and #DescubreElFoieGrasEnCasa

Producers of foie gras and their by-products are currently unable to supply restaurants, causing a significant drop in their sales. Do not hesitate to support them by consuming their products. By using the hashtag # FoieGrasEspañol or #DescubreElFoieGrasEnCasa to share your recipes, tips, or simply your love of the products, we will be able to relay your messages.

As the current crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic hits the fat palmipeds sector hard, Euro Foie Gras calls on the European Commission to use a derogation to allow private storage aid for the poultry sector. Euro Foie Gras invites also consumers to support the sector by purchasing the various proposition of products: foies gras, magrets, confits…  which will bring comfort and diversity during the quarantine.

In order to alleviate the losses for the various actors in the foie gras sector as well as food waste, we call on the European Commission to extend private storage aid to the poultry sector. “Faced with an unprecedented situation, I urge the European Commission to take exceptional measures,” said Christophe Barrailh, President of Euro Foie Gras. Poultry is currently not among the sectors that can benefit from private storage aid under the provisions of the EU Regulation 1308/2013. Euro Foie Gras is therefore asking the European Commission to use a derogation that would allow this crisis management tool to be opened up to poultry.  

Read our press release to learn more on the subject

The European Federation of Foie Gras – Euro Foie Gras – welcomes the willingness of the European Commission to address the issue of food sustainability in a holistic way by “designing a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system” under the Green Deal.

All the actors of the Federation, which brings together the different stages of the food chain in the five European producing countries , are committed to food quality, animal health and welfare, environmental sustainability and good information to consumers while ensuring a decent revenue to the breeders and contributing to the life of rural areas.

Euro Foie Gras looks forward to working with the European Commission on the Strategy as well as on the various texts that will stem from it.

Read our contribution to the Roadmap on the Farm to Fork Strategy to learn more about our view on the subject.

The goose was celebrated on the weekend of 7^th  and 8^th  March 2020 at the Sarlat Fest’Oie, in the Périgord (France). This event takes place every year since 2009 in the small village of Sarlat. The Sarlat Fest’Oie aims to showcase this exceptional local product, and to promote all stages of production in the sector.

During the numerous activities, visitors visited goose farms, learned how to cook goose foie gras through preparation workshops and cutting demonstrations … They also enjoyed goose carcass soup and plates composed of dry sausages, goose rillettes, dried duck breast, and aiguillettes accompanied by the famous Sarlat potatoes. In a festive and friendly atmosphere, the numerous musical and visual animations put the palmiped in the center of the festival, for the pleasure of all.

In 2011, the Association “Foie Gras du Périgord” created the brand “L’Oie du Périgord” (the Périgord Goose), in order to defend and protect the quality and origin of local products linked to the goose. The official launch of the brand took place during the Sarlat Fest’Oie 2012.

Périgord is the leading French goose production area with 130,000 geese and products of excellence.  

Find all the information about the Sarlat Fest’Oie on the Sarlat tourisme website.

Picture © Sarlat Tourisme

For more than a week, visitors to the Paris International Agricultural Show enjoyed French local products and world specialities, and met exhibitors, who were able to share their passion for products of excellence. Wines, cheeses, oysters, snails and of course foie gras… Tastings were numerous in the different pavilions of the Show.

Foie gras, represented by numerous family stands, received a multitude of prizes at the General Agricultural Competition. Gold medals were awarded to Maison Metzler, Le vieux Chêne, Ferme des Rouvies, Maison Lembert, Ferme Bastebieille, Cabannes Joël et Benoît, Sudreau, les Canards d’Auzan, Labeyries SAS division specialized markets, Famille pères, AFG Foie gras, La Bélaudie Havard and La Drosera Gourmande. 32 silver and 31 bronze medals were also distributed.

The honoured Regions were delighted with the numerous prizes awarded for their local products. Georges Méric, President of the Departmental Council for Haute-Garonne, stressed: “These prestigious awards contribute to the influence of agriculture and the gastronomic heritage of the Haute-Garonne in France and on the international stage. We are proud to defend a sustainable agricultural model that respects the traditions of farming and livestock production and takes into account the interests of today’s populations and future generations“.

You can consult the details of these prizes on the General Agricultural Competition website (tick « Concours », « Produits issus de palmipèdes gras »). The prizes awarded for other local products (poultry, dairy products, jam…) and wines can also be found there.

Picture © general Agricultural Competition

Brussels, 20 February 2020

The 6th edition of the cocktail of the Circle of Foie Gras Friends was held on Tuesday, 18^th of February in Brussels to celebrate this delicacy. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), representatives of the European Commission, permanent representations of Member States, regional representations and stakeholders met at the Stanhope Hotel to discuss this product, ambassador of European gastronomy.

Following the European elections of 26 May 2019, the Circle of Foie Gras Friends is pleased to welcome ten MEPs from foie gras producing and consuming countries. The cocktail was an opportunity to induct them as members. The Circle is also delighted to count on the loyalty of several re-elected MEPs.

In his opening speech, Mr. Christophe Barrailh, President of Euro Foie Gras, stressed the importance of the European marketing standards for poultry meat for the European foie gras sector: “The future delegated act revising these standards must imperatively maintain the definition of minimum liver weights for the designation ‘foie gras’, and if possible, include a definition of ‘processed foie gras’ (…) in the interest of consumers and producers attached to a product of excellence”[1]. He also insisted on transparency, a value to which Euro Foie Gras is very attached, by offering farm visits to all interested guests.

Throughout the evening, the guests had the pleasure of tasting several recipes created by Stanhope chef Laurent Gauze based on foie gras, smoked duck breast and duck gizzard, in a festive and friendly atmosphere.

[1] Find our commitments on our website.

Each year, the Open Farm Days (Journées Fermes Ouvertes – JFO) are in Wallonia (Belgium) an opportunity for thousands of visitors, including the youngest, to discover several livestock farms. The 23rd edition of the JFO took place on June 22 and 23 with the participation of more than 70 farms, including 2 foie gras farms : the “ferme de la Sauvenière” (Hemptinne-Lez-Florennes) and the “ferme Louis Legrand” (Templeuve).

The two farms welcomed over 3,000 visitors during the weekend, including many young people : “Most of the parents came with their children. There were also a lot of young couples”, said Valérie Van Wynsberghe, foie gras producer at the “ferme de la Sauvenière”. For both farms, the JFO are an opportunity to show and explain the production of foie gras to a wide audience : outdoor farming of fat palmipeds, assisted feeding during the last 12 days of life, processing, manufacturing and sale of products on site. The public is every year very receptive : “People see our breeding, our integrated production and realize that it is good to stock up with artisans,” says Louis Legrand, from the eponymous farm. Visitors to “La Sauvenière” even had the pleasure of attending a chef’s demonstration and savoring pan-fried, cooked and half-cooked foie gras as well as duck breast. Now very familiar with the Belgian production of foie gras, many visitors have not failed to bring tasty preparations home.

Like every year, several foie gras farms will open their doors for the Open Farm Days which will take place on the 22^nd and 23^rd of June throughout Wallonia. Guided tours, discovery of the different production phases, discussion on the profession, tasting of good local products and fun activities will be on the program. Passionate breeders, who are proud of their know-how, will be happy to welcome you and answer your questions.

All information on: https://jfo.be/

More information about Walloon foie gras: https://www.facebook.com/FoieGrasWallon/

It was in Plovdiv, a city full of history, that the Euro Foie Gras General Assembly took place on May 20 and 21, 2019. Combining discovery of the region and important decisions for the European foie gras sector, this General Assembly was a success.

Euro Foie Gras members welcomed the record level reached in 2018 by foie gras exports from the 5 European producing countries to third countries. With a turnover of 82 million euros, European exports worldwide rose by 58% in value compared to 2018, especially to Japan. Another reason for satisfaction: in 10 years, Hungary has doubled its internal consumption and increased its exports to neighboring countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Serbia. The key figures of the sector are part of the information that can be found on the new Euro Foie Gras website. Interactive and modern, it gives information on all facets of the sector : waterfowl-based products, the different phases of production and also the numerous commitments of the Federation in terms of quality, health and animal welfare.

The General Assembly made important decisions for the sector. Euro Foie Gras members decided to collect and share forecast data for the production of fat palmipeds. This will be a very useful anticipation tool to help operators make decisions.

In addition, Euro Foie Gras members wish to work collectively, with the support of an independent research organization, on common animal welfare indicators and their regular monitoring. It may be recalled that Euro Foie Gras has had since 2011 a European Charter on breeding of waterfowl for foie gras, which sets out the commitments that must govern the production already subject to European legislation on animal welfare.

The General Assembly was punctuated by visits to a foie gras farm as well as a feather and down upgrading plant. « European voters will go to the polls in a few days. By making strong decisions in Plovdiv, the European Capital of Culture this year, we are participating in our own way in building the European Union », concluded Christophe Barrailh, President of Euro Foie Gras.