Actress Kate Mara joins efforts to “get foie gras out of the 2024 Olympics”

Actress and long-time animal activist Kate Mara joined international animal protection organization Animal Equality in urging the organizers of the Olympic Games to remove foie gras from its hospitality menu. Mara stands alongside tens of thousands of concerned consumers around the world who have joined the global campaign to “get foie gras out of the 2024 Olympics.”

The campaign, launched last month by Animal Equality, followed recent reports that foie gras made by force-feeding will be served on-site to VIP guests. The discovery led to public outcry and over 75,000 signatures from concerned consumers around the world. 

Mara shares her disappointment towards the Games’ in a statement:

It’s disappointing that Olympic Games’ organizers have made the tone-deaf decision to serve foie gras—an item synonymous with unjustifiable cruelty to geese. For fans of the Games who love animals, this is a deeply unfortunate distraction from the wildly incredible athleticism and talent we are celebrating from around the world. I add my name to the thousands of others petitioning organizers to remove foie gras from all of its menus.

The Games, which will begin this Friday, have prioritized ‘leaf over beef,’ with 60% of dishes on offer either vegetarian or vegan. With an emphasis on sustainability, the International Olympic Committee and the chefs responsible for crafting the final menus have prioritized plants on plates for this year’s event.

Olympic Games Chef Charles Guilloy has publicly stated that he is not featuring foie gras on spectator menus since “animal well-being is on everyone’s mind,” causing many to question why it is being served in premium lounges.

Ducks and geese used for foie gras are force-fed up to 63 times during their lifetime. The practice causes extreme physical and psychological pain, with scientists observing ‘panic and flight responses’ as a result. Once the bird’s liver becomes diseased, the animal is slaughtered. Ducks in this industry live 3-5% of their natural lifespan, and geese 2-3% of theirs.

Force-feeding for foie gras has been widely criticized for decades and is illegal in many countries, including Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, and the UK. Urging the organizers to remove foie gras from the menu, those backing the campaign believe that the International Olympic Committee and Paris 2024 Organizing Committee must use their ‘influential position to unite the world, not divide it’ and ‘not ignore the concerns of the global population.’

Like other Europeans and members of the international community, French citizens recognize the extreme distress that foie gras production entails and are turning their backs on it. A 2024 poll conducted by 30 Millions d’Amis Foundation discovered that 74% of 1515 French believe that force-feeding animals is unjustifiable. 

Foie gras made by force-feeding is so cruel that it is illegal in many countries around the world. It causes extreme pain to ducks and geese, puts pressure on planetary resources, and risks human health. The organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics must listen to the world’s citizens and experts and remove this dish from its menu at once. We applaud that these are the most “sustainable” Games yet, but we must make them sustainable for all.

—Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality

Mara joins dozens of athletes, academics and conservationists who have voiced their objection to the serving of foie gras at the Games. Just last week, an open letter signed by former Olympic medalists and animal and environmental experts was sent to the Olympic Committee. The groups shared their concerns over the foie gras industry’s impact on animals, the environment, and human health. Signers include former American cyclist and Olympic silver medallist Dotsie Bausch, New Zealand professional tennis player and Olympic bronze medallist Marcus Daniell, and high-profile conservationist Chris Packham.

Organizations supporting Animal Equality’s campaign include Animal Save France & Plant-Based Treaty France & DifusionV Luxembourg, FOUR PAWS UK, RSPCA, DC Voters for Animals, Animalisti Italiani Onlus, Vege Zajednica, OneKind, LAV, Viva!, L214, Animal Aid, Law Scholars for Change, Eurogroup for Animals, PROVIEH e.V, World Animal Protection UK, Anima International, Open Cages, Deutsche Juristische Gesellschaft für Tierschutzrecht e.V, Progressive Veterinary Association, Essere Animali, Animal Rising, Love & Rage, OIPA, Animal Law Italia ETS, Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali, LNDC Animal Protection, Fórum Nacional de Defesa e Proteção Animal, and GAIA.

ABOUT ANIMAL EQUALITY:

Animal Equality is an international organization working with society, governments, and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals. Animal Equality works effectively for animals through investigations, corporate campaigns and legal advocacy in the United States, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and India.