Foie-gras fact sheet

Foie-gras (French for “fat liver”) is “the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage” (as defined by French law). Gavage is the process of force-feeding birds more food than they would eat in the wild, and much more than they would voluntarily eat. Feed is usually corn boiled with fat, which deposits large amounts of fat in the liver. This process essentially causes a disease of the liver (hepatic steatosis), which would invariably be fatal if the birds were not slaughtered.

The majority of birds used in foie-gras production in France are ducks (98 per cent), with geese making up about 2 per cent. In that country alone 30 million ducks and 700,000 geese are killed annually for foie-gras production (French industry figures, 2004).

Force-feeding

The force-feeding of birds, that are often confined and with no means of escape, is both cruel and damaging to their health. Feed is administered using a funnel fitted with a long tube, forcing it into the bird's oesophagus. Modern systems use a tube fed by a pneumatic or hydraulic pump. Force-feeding can cause violent trauma to the bird’s oesophagus, which can lead to death. Around a million birds die during force-feeding in France every year (French industry figures). Force-feeding also causes the liver to swell to up to ten times its natural size, impaired liver function, expansion of the abdomen making it difficult for birds to walk, death if the force feeding is continued, and scarring of the oesophagus (Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare, 1998).

Ducks are force-fed twice a day for 12.5 days and geese three times a day for around 17 days. Ducks are typically slaughtered at 100 days and geese at 112 days.

The Trade

France is the leading foie-gras producing country, with 78.5 per cent of world production. Foie-gras is also produced to a lesser extent in Hungary (8 per cent), Bulgaria (6 per cent), the United States (1.4 per cent), Canada (1 per cent) and China (0.6 per cent) (Xinhua, 2006). In 2005, France produced 18,450 tonnes of foie-gras (world estimated total production is 23,500 tonnes)

Typically, birds used for foie-gras will be free-range prior to force-feeding. Geese are not caged in foie-gras production, but 87 per cent of ducks are confined to small wire cages not much bigger than their bodies, where only their heads are free to facilitate force feeding (OFIVAL, 2003). The remainder – and most geese – are enclosed in small enclosures (pens). Only male ducklings are used in French foie-gras production (as they put on weight quicker and their livers are less veinous), almost all females are killed at just a day or two old by either being gassed or thrown alive into industrial macerators (as many as 30 million annually). Both male and female geese are used in foie-gras production.

Despite moves in Europe to ban it, gavage is now protected by French law as part of their cultural and gastronomical “heritage” (French rural code). Foie-gras cannot be sold as French unless it is the result of force-feeding. Foie-gras production is banned in several countries, including most of the Austrian provinces, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Israel and by 2012 California. General animal protection laws in Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom mean that production is essentially banned there also.

127 tonnes of foie-gras was imported into the UK in 2006 (H M Revenue and Customs, 2007). The true figure of animal product imported because of  this trade is likely to be much higher, as this statistic does not include duck/goose meat, goose fat or other by-products. Most foie-gras in the UK is sold by restaurants, bistros and pubs. Through campaigning by groups such as Viva!, no major supermarket chain currently sells foie-gras in Britain.

An Ethical Alternative?

Some French producers – including many intensive ones – claim to be ‘artisan’ (which implies skilled methods and pastoral scenes). This term is meaningless, as there is no official definition of ‘artisan foie-gras’. All birds raised for foie-gras in France will have been force-fed.

Some producers outside of France are now claiming that they are producing so-called ‘ethical’ foie-gras. Whilst this does not include force-feeding, geese are tricked into over-eating ahead of a migration they will never make. Compared to the amount of foie-gras produced in France, this type of production is miniscule and hugely expensive.

A Ban in the UK: Achievable?

Despite the production of foie-gras being banned in many European countries (Council of Europe, 1999), the sale of foie-gras is not prohibited. This makes a mockery of existing animal welfare legislation in the UK, by allowing a product to be sold here that would be illegal to produce here.

Several councils in the UK, including York and Bolton, have banned the use of foie-gras in council properties. Whilst they do not have the power to stop establishments selling foie-gras, this is an important move which shows official disapproval.

Sectors of the UK government are sympathetic to a ban. Previous minister for animal welfare at Defra, Ben Bradshaw, has called for a consumer boycott.

WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules are often quoted as the reason why a ban on the importation of foie-gras into the UK would not be possible. However, there are clauses which allow countries to ban imports on the grounds that ‘public morals’ or ‘animal health’ are threatened (GATT). The scope of this is currently being considered by the government.

Banning the sale of foie-gras in the UK is also a possibility as we are a sovereign state. However, the government seemingly will not acknowledge this as an option.

References

French rural code L654-27-1: “On entend par foie gras, le foie d’un canard ou d’une oie spécialement engraissé par gavage.” (“By “foie gras” one is to understand the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage”)

Report of the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare on Welfare Aspects of the Production of Foie-Gras in Ducks and Geese (Adopted 16 December 1998).

Xinhua online (2006) China to boost foie gras production, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/11/content_4409586.htm

OFIVAL (National Interprofessional Office for meat, livestock and poultry Farming) (2003) Contexte, structure et perspectives d’evolution du sector francais du foie gras

French industry website www.portraitquercy.free.fr/canards.htm

Shaw Jonathon R MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs) and Minister for the South East) DEFRA) (2007) Parliamentary question and figures from H M Revenue and Customs www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-11-20a.165252.h

European Recommendations concerning ducks and geese used for the production of foie-gras (1999)

Bradshaw Ben MP (Former Minster for Animal Welfare (DEFRA)) (2007)  Minster calls on diners to boycott foie-gras www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23384446-details/Minister+calls+on+diners+to+boycott+foie+gras/article.do

(GATT) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Article 20 (b)

Viva!’s Campiagn for a Foie-gras Free Britain

In 2004, Viva!USA was instrumental in getting a bill passed that banned the force feeding of ducks and geese in the production of foie-gras in California. The bill also bans the sale of the product when made from force fed birds, both provisions taking effect in the State in the year 2012.

Viva!’s UK campaign has persuaded supermarket chain Lidl and wholesalers Makro to stop selling foie-gras in all of their stores in the UK. Through targeted media and peaceful demonstrations, campaigning by Viva! and other organisations also saw House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols both drop this cruel product, as well as many independent hotels, restaurants and delicatessens. Viva! is petitioning the government to challenge trade laws which prohibit a ban on the importation of this product which would be illegal to produce in this country.

Viva!’s campaign has seen national and local media coverage. The group’s short film, The World of Gavage, ‘spoofs’ of the false assurances of the French foie-gras industry. Viva! works alongside French consumer group, Stop Gavage.