Snail farming (heliciculture) is a growing industry producing millions of snails for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, raising important welfare questions about mollusc sentience.
The welfare status of farmed snails is highly uncertain given limited scientific evidence on gastropod sentience. Snails do demonstrate nociception and behavioral responses to injury, but whether this involves subjective suffering is unresolved. Intensive farming systems can involve overcrowding, ammonia buildup, inadequate moisture, and rough handling during grading. Starvation periods used to clear the gut before sale may cause hunger-related stress if snails have relevant experiences. Given the uncertainty and large numbers farmed, a precautionary approach recommends minimizing unnecessary stressors and investigating more humane slaughter methods. The cosmetics use of snail mucin also raises questions about sustainable and humane harvesting.