It has been proven that the procedure of force-feeding ducks and geese is a dangerous one and that eating fattie foie gras is very unhealthy. For these reasons, the EU has banned the practice of force-feeding in
almost all the Member States. It made exceptions for France, the first producer of foie gras in the world, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium and Spain.
The EU seemed to have made reasonable aims to ban this approach, but all that glitters is not gold: Europe has been restricting the practice of foie gras in order to cull all the other livers produced. As according to the European regulation on marketing standards for poultry meat, only livers with a weight of or more than 300g for ducks and 400g for geese can be recognised as "foie gras"
. A weight too high to reach naturally.
The feeling is that the EU has just done this to erase competition in the market of livers of ducks and geese to help the market for French foie gras rather than to protect the lives of these animals and human health. The French market of foie gras has recently grown significantly since this regulation has been approved!
The EU should be putting people's and animal health first. Is it too hard to imagine a world where ducks and geese are not forced fed?
The EU has the opportunity to change its mind, acting to save animals and people's health, but we must make our voices heard!
Please sign this petition and share it!Cover picture copyrighted by Gaia (Global Action in the Interest of Animals)