Production of foie gras in France fell in 2021 to 12,000 metric tons, 20 percent less than the previous year.  Current outbreaks of HPAI in areas of production will further reduce output.  Export markets will be restricted based on the disease and farmers, mostly small family units, may be forced out of business by declining markets and higher production costs caused by escalation in feed and fuel.  The vulnerability of foie gras production is highlighted by annual widescale outbreaks of HPAI since susceptible ducks are housed on pasture and are vulnerable to virus shed by migratory waterfowl. 

Over successive years, veterinary authorities have mounted control programs involving depopulation of affected farms and even preemptive killing of ducks and geese in affected regions with compensatory payment.  The obvious futility of annual eradication programs suggests that to preserve the industry, France may have to resort to vaccination.There are questions as to the protection afforded by inactivated vaccines even if they are H5 and H7 homologous. An added problem relates to whether importing nations including Japan will accept product from vaccinated flocks.