There are about 3,000 snail producers operating in Italy (in all regions), with the use of about 2,500 hectares of land.
National consumption of shellfish and food depend for over 60% on imports.
The fresh product needed for the market comes mainly from the countries of North Africa (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) and Turkey, according to the conference on Heliciculture scheduled for 1st and 2nd October, in Piana di Monte Verna (Caserta ) in one of the national offices of the Italian Confederation of Heliciculturists.
The annual international meeting of land snail farmers and all the people and organizations connected to the sector has the purpose - reads a note - "to bring together all the segments and characters of the sector, both the traditional one of production for nutrition, both the most innovative and most requested one today regarding the extraction of burr from molluscs, for cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses ".
The conference will not miss the typical cuisine linked to molluscs, through the review "Piazza delle Snaache", "with menus entirely dedicated to Helix".