UK Labour Party to ban foie gras imports if elected

The UK Labour Party has committed to banning the importation of foie gras if elected. This commitment comes just a month after Animal Equality led an email action in which supporters urged Members of Parliament to include a ban in their manifesto. The move is being celebrated by the public, animal advocates, and British farmers as the UK general elections are forthcoming on July 4.

Ruth Jones, the Labour Party’s Shadow Minister for Environmental Protection and Animal Welfare at the time, replied to an email sent by a concerned citizen. 

In her response, Jones condemned the Government’s “inaction” and confirmed, “that should the Labour Party be fortunate enough to win the election on the 4th of July, we will commit to an outright import ban on foie gras as soon as possible in the next Parliament.”

One step forward

Animal Equality’s team in the UK has been leading the campaign to ban foie gras imports since 2017. The campaign has garnered nearly 300,000 petition signatures and support from celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Dame Joanna Lumley, and Mark Ryland. More than 150,000 people have similarly added their names to a U.S. petition.

Through the release of over ten investigations into foie gras farms, Animal Equality has documented severe animal suffering on foie gras farms, including birds with breathing difficulties, eye infections, broken wings, and beaks, some covered in blood or left dead and rotting.

Foie gras production is undeniably brutal, yet for decades the UK has effectively been outsourcing cruelty – this hypocrisy must stop. This is evidently a key voter issue, with an overwhelming majority of Brits in favour of a foie gras import ban, so I am delighted to see the Labour Party take a decisive position on this issue.

Abigail Penny, Executive Director of Animal Equality UK

The Labour Party’s commitment to ban foie gras imports reflects a growing public consensus on animal protection and highlights the need for decisive political action to end this controversial practice.

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Animal Equality’s supporters hold the power to urge governments to end cruel practices like force-feeding. The UK Labor Party’s commitment is proof of your influence. Here in the U.S., you can use your voice for ducks and geese by signing our petition asking the U.S. Government to follow suit and ban the force-feeding of animals.

Ban foie gras in the United States now

Foie gras is one of the most violent animal products available. Ducks and geese are force-fed through a tube that is inserted into their throats in a process called gavage.

Large amounts of fat are deposited into the duck’s liver, causing it to grow up to ten times its normal size. This can leave the animals unable to walk or even breathe before slaughter.

Force-feeding is extremely painful and stressful for these sensitive animals and causes injuries and death from ruptured organs.

Foie gras is already banned in several countries

Due to the animal cruelty involved, the State of California and several countries—including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel (formerly the world’s fourth-largest foie gras producer), Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Argentina—have either outright prohibited force-feeding for foie gras production and/or sale or have interpreted production as illegal under existing anti-cruelty laws.

In the UK, where production is already illegal, the government is also considering banning the import of foie gras.

Most recently, New York City overwhelmingly passed a bill to ban the sale of foie gras in 2019. Additionally, several restaurants and retailers—such as Costco, Safeway, Target, Giant Eagle, Whole Foods Market, and Wolfgang Puck—refuse to sell foie gras due to animal cruelty concerns.

It’s time to end the cruel force-feeding of animals

The undersigned demand that the United States follow the lead of the many countries listed above and similarly ban the sale and production of foie gras in the USA. It’s time for this cruel delicacy to become a thing of the past. I stand with Animal Equality in calling for an immediate ban on this atrocity.

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Sign our petition calling for a ban on the sale and production of foie gras in the United States.

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