Geese are farmed for meat and foie gras production, with welfare challenges ranging from restricted movement in intensive systems to the force-feeding practices behind foie gras.
Force-feeding for foie gras production causes the liver to enlarge to 10 times its normal size, liver disease, respiratory compromise, and locomotion difficulty. The feeding tube insertion causes trauma and stress. Geese are intelligent, social birds that suffer significantly in intensive conditions. Even conventional goose production can involve welfare compromises when birds are kept in barren environments without adequate social contact or space for natural foraging behaviour.