Foie gras production involves force-feeding ducks and geese to produce fatty liver. It is banned in many countries on welfare grounds and faces ongoing legal and consumer challenge in others.
Force-feeding to produce foie gras causes clearly documentable welfare harm: oesophageal injury from repeated tube insertion, difficulty breathing as the enlarged liver presses on the lungs, difficulty walking, and physiological stress from the feeding process. The welfare case against foie gras production is strong and has persuaded many governments and retailers to ban its production or sale. The counter-argument from producers — that waterfowl have naturally elastic oesophagi and are adapted to gorging — does not address the totality of welfare harms. The luxury food product market that sustains foie gras production is susceptible to consumer pressure.