Force-feeding isn’t festive

Dear Mark,
To our amazement, many foie gras farms in France offer public tours. We recently visited one to witness the production of this cruel ‘delicacy’ first hand. We were welcomed onto the farm and witnessed terrified, panting ducks crammed into tiny, filthy cages and geese struggling to escape as a vast amount of food was pumped down their throats using a large metal tube.

Actor and animal advocate, Peter Egan and TV veterinarian, Emma Milne joined us on the visit to ‘La Ferme Turnac’ foie gras farm in France. They were both shocked that the farm was happy to put this horrific cruelty on display for families to watch. The harrowing investigation is featured in today’s Mirror newspaper, and we’re using this as an opportunity to launch a new aspect to our #FoieGrasFreeGB campaign.

Over 115,000 people have now signed our petition calling for a foie gras import ban as soon as we leave the European Union. However, while we’re still in the European Single Market, a ban isn’t yet possible. That’s why we’re calling on restaurants and shops to impose their own ban on this extremely cruel product now, starting with a protest at Tate Modern in central London today.

Ironically, many restaurants — like the Tate Modern’s — only offer foie gras on their Christmas menu as it’s seen as a luxury, yet there is nothing festive about force-feeding birds until their livers become fatty and diseased. If you see a restaurant serving foie gras this Christmas, please let us know and we’ll pressure them to drop it from their menu.

Many thanks,

The following pictures are not associated with this campaign – but they do show the reality of foie gras.