Geese farmed for meat and foie gras face welfare concerns from extreme force-feeding to routine management practices in conventional production.
Goose welfare in production spans a spectrum from standard meat farming to the extreme welfare compromise of foie gras production. Force-feeding causes esophageal damage, liver disease so severe the bird struggles to walk, and respiratory distress from organ enlargement. Standard goose farming also has welfare challenges: geese are social waterfowl with strong motivation for water bathing that is typically denied, and intensive stocking prevents normal flock social behavior. The foie gras end of the spectrum represents welfare harm so extreme it has been banned outright in most jurisdictions with meaningful animal welfare law.