Farmed Goose Welfare and Down Production

Geese are farmed for meat, down and foie gras. Their welfare needs include water access, grazing opportunities and protection from the practices of live plucking and force-feeding.

Key Facts

Geese are highly social, intelligent birds that form strong pair bonds and family groups
Live plucking of geese for down is practiced in Eastern Europe and causes significant distress
Foie gras production involves force-feeding to enlarge the liver - banned in UK production but still imported
Geese require access to water for bathing and drinking - denial causes feather condition deterioration
Grazing geese convert pasture efficiently and can be managed in welfare-friendly extensive systems
The UK imports foie gras produced by force-feeding despite the practice being illegal domestically
Responsible down certification (RDS) verifies that down is not sourced from live-plucked birds

Welfare Considerations

Goose welfare varies enormously by production system. Extensively managed geese with water access, grazing and appropriate social grouping can have good welfare. Foie gras production and live plucking represent severe welfare failures at opposite ends of the supply chain. The cognitive and social complexity of geese makes confinement particularly harmful - geese show individual recognition, form lasting social bonds and grieve after loss of companions. Consumer choices that avoid live-plucked down and foie gras, and support certified welfare standards in goose production, directly affect the welfare of these intelligent birds.

What You Can Do

Choose down products certified by Responsible Down Standard (RDS) only
Avoid foie gras - force-feeding causes severe suffering and its production is banned in the UK
Support campaigns to ban foie gras imports into the UK
If keeping geese, provide water access, grazing and appropriate social groups
Support legislation extending foie gras import bans across European and UK markets