Stories
Foie Gras on Ballot in Washington DC and Denver for November Midterms
- •Voters in Washington DC and Denver will decide on local ballot measures November 3 to ban the sale, distribution, and production of foie gras.
- •Initiative 86 in Washington DC and a parallel measure in Denver mark the first time citizens will directly vote on the fate of foie gras in US history.
- •Animal rights advocates argue that the force-feeding practice used to produce foie gras is cruel and causes severe physical distress to birds.
- •Chefs, restaurateurs, and producers defend the delicacy as a traditional culinary art and warn that bans will harm local businesses and agricultural workers.
- •If approved, Denver will codify the ban into law immediately, while Washington DC's measure will face a mandatory 30-day congressional review period.
Key Questions Answered
On November 3, 2026, voters in Washington, DC (Initiative 86) and Denver, Colorado will decide whether to prohibit the force-feeding of birds and outlaw the commercial sale, distribution, and importation of foie gras.
Foie gras is produced through a process called gavage, where high-starch corn mash is injected into a duck or goose's esophagus 2 to 3 times daily for 2 to 3 weeks, enlarging its liver up to ten times normal size. Animal welfare groups argue this practice causes severe physical stress, organ disease, and injuries, while producers claim it leverages the birds' natural biological pre-migration gorging cycle.
California passed a statewide force-feeding and retail sale ban in 2004 that survived a decade of federal lawsuits. In 2006, Chicago briefly banned restaurant sales before repealing it in 2008, while New York City's 2019 ban faced legal pushback from upstate farm businesses. Additionally, countries like India banned imports in 2014, and several European nations have outlawed domestic gavage.
