Force feeding ducks and geese to produce foie gras causes severe welfare harm and has been banned in many countries on animal cruelty grounds.
Force-fed ducks experience the physical discomfort of repeated tube insertion into the esophagus, abdominal pressure from an enlarged liver, difficulty walking, and metabolic dysfunction. The welfare evidence is clear: foie gras production causes suffering that led to bans across multiple jurisdictions. Humane foie gras alternatives are emerging but remain niche.