Escargot farming involves billions of snails globally, yet their welfare during farming and slaughter is almost entirely unstudied despite growing consumer interest in the product.
Helix aspersa and similar species are farmed across Europe for escargot production. Snails are farmed in enclosures ranging from outdoor plots to indoor climate-controlled systems. Their sentience is uncertain; their nervous system is complex for an invertebrate but their capacity for pain is debated. Slaughter by boiling alive or salt application causes death that may involve distress. The precautionary principle warrants more attention to snail welfare than current production practices reflect. Consumer interest in sustainable protein has increased escargot farming without concurrent welfare attention.