Giant African Snail Farming

Have you ever seen a Giant African Snail? The beautiful Achatina snail is commonly found in the sub-tropical forests of Ghana and is an iron- and protein-rich food source. To get an idea of its size, simply make a closed fist with your hand. This represents the average size of a full-grown adult Achatina snail!

The Achatina Snail Farm Story

I was introduced to this giant snail when I went to Ghana as a microfinance volunteer in the summer of 2011. During that time, I helped Ghanaians in the Eastern Region start 31 small businesses. I saw how millions of people in rural communities are trapped in a cycle of poverty that can only be broken through education and new business opportunities.

About half of the 26 million citizens of Ghana as well as millions of citizens in West Africa, Europe and Asia eat the Achatina snail as a delicacy. The snail is traditionally gathered from the wild and sold at the local markets. However, in recent years, the Achatina snail has greatly diminished due to over-harvesting, adverse weather conditions and deforestation. The limited supply of snail keeps the cost prohibitively high, and thus keeps the nutritious food out of the hands and mouths of the consumers who want and need it most.

My firsthand experience motivated me to find additional ways to help these humble and hard-working Africans. So, in 2012 my wife and I did our research and decided to start a snail farm. We obtained seed funding and successfully piloted the first farm in 2012. Achatina Snail Farms assists local farmers in raising the large snails, thus providing a sustainable supply of the highly sought-after snail in the Ghanaian market.

The Achatina Snail Farm Model

The vision of Achatina Snail Farms is to use snail farming as a natural solution to overcome poverty and malnutrition in rural Ghana. Starting with only 10 snail hutches (large pens where snails live and breed) in 2012, we learned how to raise snails in captivity and expanded our farming operation in 2013 to 48 hutches, with over 10,000 snails. Now we hope to replicate this success by starting more snail farms with deserving Ghanaians.

Achatina Snail Farms is the managing organization of the farming operation. By providing the necessary resources, training, marketing and sales, we open the door for snail farmers to reach customers throughout Ghana. Here’s how it works:

Achatina Snail Farms gives selected individuals the resources needed to start a snail farm and continually supervises the farming operation. In the meantime, we market the snails and make sales contracts with individuals and businesses. As the snails breed and the inventory grows, the farms send the snail supply to Achatina Snail Farms processing. Then we complete the cycle by selling the completed product to the consumers. Achatina Snail Farms will begin selling three products in 2014:

1)  Snail meat: This is the primary product of Achatina Snail Farms. The consumer demand for nutritious snail far outweighs the current supply.

2)  Snail shells: Many shell collectors around the world want the beautiful Achatina snail shell for decorative or curiosity purposes.

3)  Snail slime: The slime byproduct is used in pharmaceutical and skincare products.

How Your Funds Will Be Used

We will open five new snail farms in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Achatina Snail Farms will start these farms by doing the following:

·  Select 5-10 new snail farmers among a pool of applicants

·  Train the farmers in weekly classes

·  Select and prepare the land for farming

·  Help build snail hutches

·  Provide breeding stock of Achatina snails

·  Provide manuals, management materials and other resources to raise the snails

In addition, we will carry out improvements to the existing commercial snail farm, such as digging a well and expanding feed crops.

What You Get for Your Gift

We appreciate your support and thank you on behalf of the rural farmers in Ghana. More than anything, you are providing hope to many individuals by giving them new opportunities. Your contributions will support three key areas of breaking the cycle of poverty: 1) education, 2) nutrition and 3) a viable source of income.

For your contributions, you will receive the following:

Achatina Snail Friend

$25 – We will post a message on your Facebook page personally thanking you for your support. Your friends will soon realize that you are among one of the most interesting people in the world because you support giant snail farming in Africa!

Achatina Snail Advocate

$50 – On your behalf, we will give a meal of nutritious snails to a Ghanaian family in need! (Plus the previous perk.)

Achatina Snail Lover

$150 – We will send you a giant Achatina snail shell! You (or a designated recipient) will receive a sterilized shell from one of the snail farms. The shells have beautiful colors, typically a mix of orange, black and brown and can be used as décor or an interesting conversation piece for your home. (Shipping costs up to $20 included.)

Achatina Snail Champion

$500 – You will sponsor a snail farmer! On your behalf, we will provide a snail farm starter kit to a deserving farmer. They will receive all the training, supplies and snail stock necessary to start their very own snail farm! In return, you will receive a photo and letter from the snail farmer you sponsored as well as an annual update on the status of the farm.

Achatina Snail Adventurer

$3000 – You will get a 3-day African Snail Farm Adventure! Your itinerary includes a visit to the village of the snail farmers in Ghana and volunteering on the farm. All hotels, meals and transportation expenses for your 3-day visit to the Eastern Region are covered. (Note that airfare, immunizations and visa costs are not included.)

Other ways you can help:

If we do not reach our goal, the operations will continue (“we will manage” as the wonderful Ghanaian people say.) We are dedicated to doing whatever we have to do to carry out the vision of Achatina Snail Farms. However, without your support fewer lives will be blessed.

There are additional ways that you can help, whether or not you are able to make a financial contribution at this time.  

·  Help us get the word out about our campaign by sharing the link to this Indiegogo campaign with your friends and family!     

· Please like us on Facebook!