Foie gras: forcing a feeding rethink

The EU intends to eliminate the force feeding of geese for foie gras within 15 years.

January 13, 2004 5:59 PM GMT (Datamonitor) - The EU has given France and Hungary a 15-year grace period to find alternative methods to fatten geese for foie gras. Any subsequent ban on traditional force feeding would meet with strong opposition from both Hungarian farmers and French consumers.

France is by far the largest producer of foie gras in the world. French consumers’ appetite for the famously rich dish ensures that national production capacity cannot satisfy demand. It is mostly to cater for French consumers that Hungary has become the largest exporter and the second most important producer of goose livers in the world.

Hungary exports 1,800 tonnes of goose liver every year, mostly to France, although Japan and Belgium are also significant destinations. The Hungarian foie gras are seasoned, cooked and packaged after arrival and sold as local products.

Foie gras, generally perceived as a high-quality specialty gourmet product, is popular throughout Europe as a festive and celebratory dish. However, there are a growing number of consumers who oppose its production on ethical grounds.

The methods used to prepare foie gras have attracted the ire of animal rights organizations and the scrutiny of the Council of Europe. Geese destined for foie gras production are force-fed maize over 18 days following an initial 12-week period during which they are given exercises to expand their stomachs and neck muscles.

A group of vets working for the Council of Europe has declared the force-feeding of geese to be fundamentally cruel, although unlike many animal welfare groups it did not call for a ban. The practice is already outlawed in Poland, Denmark, Germany and Norway.

The EU has given France and Hungary a 15-year timeframe to develop an alternative method for fattening geese. If no satisfactory replacement process is found, up to 30,000 Hungarian geese farmers face losing their livelihoods.

Sources within the foie gras industry maintain that its opponents would revise their opinion once they tasted the product. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine how France would accept what would effectively be an EU ban on a product that is an intrinsic part of France's gastronomic culture.