Proof that hard times are upon us: France is facing a snail shortage. In 2007, the French went through 14,300 tons of snails, whelks, and other gastropods. Shockingly, only 1% came from France, with the rest coming from eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Greece. The 2008 harvest is expected to be very short, so prices will be very high. The snail crisis comes just as the summer snail festival season starts. One of the biggest festivals is held in Digoin, Burgundy (the home of the classic butter, garlic, and parsley version of escargots). The three-day August festival is expected to draw 10,000 visitors and account for over 100,000 snails. Sadly, virtually all of the snails will come from Poland. With pesticides and intensive agriculture, France has eliminated its wild snails. (Source: U.K. Guardian Weekly, 18.07.08, “French shell out for escargot”.) The French could revert to their World War II strategy: create ersatz snails from ground-up rubber. With enough garlic, butter, parsley, a good white wine, and some great bread – I’m not sure I could tell the difference. (And I like escargots.)
The issue seems small when compared to the grand scale of crises confronting the planet, but escargots symbolize something about traditional France. Perhaps conservation easements for snail ranchers? Climate change mitigation to protect the cool, moist conditions snails must have? If the snail goes, can humanity be far behind?
In the meantime, let’s go to France, eat snails, and drench ourselves in garlic and butter this summer.