THE ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF BREEDING OF EDIBLE SNAILS OF THE INSTITUTE IN CHERASCO
In 1973 in Italy for the first time, complete biological cycle breeding
was heard of. Edible snails were almost disappearing owing to industrialization.
Furthermore the widespread use of chemical and inorganic fertilizers, proved to
be poisonous for snails. Owing to both an increase in labour costs and a massive
urban migration of the population, the number of workers was greatly reduced. Captain
Carboni, who lives in the province of Cuneo, edited a volume in those years in which
be wrote about the attempts he made on his own breeding farm. The book aroused an
enormous interest and The International Institute for breeding of edible snails
was born. His main duty was to coordinate practical proofs and scientific research
about the new topic together with the Faculty of Veterinary Studies and Agriculture
and other Public Boards. The experimentation started with testing whether Helix
Snails could resist an enclosed space. Breeding started on the ground or on cases
or in covered boxes or in glass/houses. Data coming from other improvised breeders
were compared. It was necessary to solve both feeding problems and the reproductive
cycle of the three most marketed species in order to reach the expected profitability.
In 1978 the breeders in Cherasco were more than 1,000 and the demand for snails
was rapidly increasing. The National Association of Edible Snail Breeders was founded
in that year and was affiliated to the A.I.A.
The organization had its offices in the Institute of Breeding of edible snails and
Cherasco became the point of reference for the Italian breeding activity. In the
eighties both biological knowledge and zootechnical abilities of the Helix improved
a lot. Some areas on the breeding farm were devoted to experimentation in order
to obtain more and more reproductive and fast growing species. Breeders also tried
to avoid delays and dangerous phenomena of nanism. Special studies about feeding
and choice of herbs, which could give the meat a delicate taste, were carried out.
Snail feed made up of flour and rich in sugar and minerals easily assimilable were
used by breeders during the fattening and finishing period in open air breeding.
In 1981 the Institute opened a national commercial service whose aim was to buy
any quantity of product at official quotations from breeders throughout the year.
The main characteristic of the “Italian School of Breeding of Edible Snails”has
been and still is the general setting up of the productive activity of snails in
a natural environment, on bare ground and fed with herbs mostly sown in enclosures.
This is not a system based on technology but extremely cheap as costs of installation
and management labour are greatly reduced. Feeding costs are almost reduced to nothing.
France has adopted either the system of breeding in glass houses, or in confined
closed areas or in air-conditioned spaces. This method has given good results as
far as the number of snails delivered by each reproducer is concerned but it had
to give way to our system owing to its high costs and necessary investments. Our
system is more rudimentary and more subject to fluctuations of climate and predators
but it is by far cheaper. Nowadays our Institute in Cherasco is the most important
point of reference in the world. It provides the breeders with technical assistance
wherever needed.
