Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their livers. The practice is banned in over 20 countries due to welfare concerns, but production continues globally.
Foie gras production is among the most widely condemned livestock practices in the world due to the acute and chronic suffering it involves. Force-feeding via a tube inserted into the esophagus causes tissue damage, and the rapid liver enlargement creates physiological distress including difficulty breathing, walking, and thermoregulation. Birds in late-stage gavage often cannot stand normally due to abdominal pressure from the enlarged liver. Scientific assessments by veterinary bodies in multiple countries have concluded that foie gras production causes unavoidable animal suffering that cannot be meaningfully mitigated within the constraints of the production system. Legislative bans represent the appropriate response to this evidence, and supporting their implementation and extension is the clearest welfare action available.