Duck meat production includes conventional intensive farming and the controversial foie gras production through force-feeding, with both raising significant welfare concerns requiring consumer awareness.
Foie gras production causes severe and acute welfare harm through force-feeding procedures that cause physical injury and the pathological liver enlargement that constitutes the product. The disease state created - hepatic steatosis - is the point of production. There is no welfare-positive version of foie gras. Conventional duck meat production causes welfare compromise primarily through denial of water access for bathing and swimming, which are strongly motivated behaviors for ducks. Higher welfare duck production including RSPCA Assured or equivalent certification provides water access and space for more natural behavior expression.