Michelin-starred restaurants in France are facing a crisis as the country grapples with a shortage of foie gras.

Foie gras, a beloved yet controversial delicacy in France, is a fixture in high-end dining. However, a crisis has caused it to disappear from menus, with some producers even contemplating reducing portions.

The core of the issue is a bird flu outbreak that has ravaged both the French and European poultry industries. The outbreak is now threatening a key component of French gastronomy: its Michelin-star restaurants.

Pascal Lombard, the chef-owner of Le 1862, a Michelin-star restaurant in rural southwestern France, says, 'It’s been a month since our foie gras supplies began dwindling, and now we’ve received none this week.'

As regular shipments of foie gras dry up, Lombard has been holding urgent meetings with local suppliers to find solutions.

Foie gras has faced its fair share of crises over the years.

The practice of force-feeding geese and ducks to produce foie gras has long been criticized by animal rights activists, who have succeeded in pushing for bans in other countries.

Despite ongoing ethical concerns, France's love for foie gras remains strong, but now a new threat to bird welfare is leading to a decline in its consumption.

The heart of the outbreak

The village of Les Eyzies, home to Lombard’s restaurant, lies in the heart of Périgord, one of the regions hit hardest by the ongoing bird flu crisis.

Since the bird flu crisis began in November 2021, France has been forced to cull 16 million poultry in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, the Ministry of Agriculture reported to Dinogo.

Marie-Pierre Pé, head of France’s interprofessional foie gras committee, remarked, 'This is an unprecedented situation for France, which has never faced a crisis of this magnitude.'

Due to the epidemic, foie gras production in France is anticipated to drop by as much as 50%, with 80% of the nation’s producers impacted.

With 35 years of experience in the foie gras industry, Pé is well-versed in dealing with avian influenza. Similar to seasonal flu in humans, bird flu makes its annual appearance in Europe as migratory birds travel between Africa and Europe.

This year, the bird flu outbreak began in the spring and spread to the Pays de la Loire region in the west and the Périgord area in the southwest, both of which are key poultry-producing regions in France.

Pays de la Loire alone accounts for 72% of the ducks and geese raised for foie gras production in France, according to Pé.

Pé shared a message of optimism with both customers and producers: 'We need to support each other,' she said, encouraging people to enjoy foie gras in moderation this year so more can savor it during the crisis.

'There will definitely be smaller package sizes available to help ensure everyone can get a taste,' she added.

Quarantine measures and vaccination efforts

The crisis has been compounded by other major foie gras producers in Europe facing similar challenges, making it difficult to compensate for the shortage through imports.

Since October 2021, bird flu has been spreading across the European Union, impacting countries such as Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Hungary, all members of the European Federation of Foie Gras, according to the latest report from the European Commission.

To end the epidemic and restore production levels in 2023, Pé and other foie gras producers are relying on two strategies that became well-known during the Covid pandemic: isolation and vaccination.

'We have a monitoring program based on the same principles used to fight Covid-19,' Pé explained.

In regions where bird flu has been detected, farmers are keeping their ducks and geese indoors to prevent exposure to migratory birds.

To make room for indoor housing, producers must reduce their flock sizes, ensuring enough space for the birds, Pé explained.

Two vaccine options are currently undergoing clinical trials, but they are unlikely to be available before 2023, Pé noted.

Meanwhile, in Les Eyzies in southwestern France, chef Lombard is creating new menu items to compensate for the absence of foie gras.

'With the bird flu, the war in Ukraine, and all the disruptions, we’ll be running low on many ingredients, and we’ll need to adjust with what we can find,' Lombard said.

'2022 will see more vegetable-based dishes and less focus on meat,' he said.