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.
