There are few more blatant violations of God’s call to stewardship (Proverbs 12:10) than foie gras (French for “fatty liver”). Although you may still find the diseased livers of tortured birds on the menus of some “fine dining” restaurants, there’s nothing fine about foie gras or its production.
Foie gras is produced through the relentless torture and eventual slaughter of sensitive and intelligent geese and ducks, all for a few moments on the tongues of high-paying restaurant patrons. Compassionate people should know the truth about what goes into making this repulsive dish and leave it off their dinner plates.
Ducks and geese are highly social individuals and begin communicating with their siblings before they even hatch. Ducks travel through the water together in groups known as “paddlings” and even communicate with one another in different regional accents. Geese are similarly close to their families and friends and teach their offspring migratory routes passed down over generations. When a member of their group, known as a “gaggle,” dies, they mourn, and they love to cuddle for warmth and protection from the elements.
Ducks and geese slaughtered for foie gras usually never get to experience things that are natural and important to them. These sensitive birds are condemned to live in prolonged agony before they’re killed so that some chef can use their enlarged, disease livers to make a disgusting paste for their patrons. Only male birds are abused to produce foie gras. Female ducklings are deemed useless and tossed alive into grinders so that their bodies can be processed into cat food or fertilizer. The males are crammed into filthy pens so small that they’re prevented from grooming themselves. They commonly suffer from infections and stress on their bones due to being severely crowded in small cages with other birds, usually surrounded by their own feces.
When the birds aren’t suffering in these horrific hovels, they’re subjected to multiple daily rounds of excruciating force-feeding. Long pipes are rammed down their throats to viciously shove food into their small stomachs. Every day, ducks are compelled to ingest over 2 pounds of food, and geese are forced to ingest over 4 pounds of it, resulting in rapid weight gain that causes their livers to expand to up to 10 times their natural size, inflicting excruciating pain and great stress that prevent the birds from standing. Some of them die before they reach the slaughterhouse, enduring fatal organ ruptures due to the violent overfeeding.
Such barbaric and gratuitous abuse is unjustifiable, and supporting the violent foie gras industry is a grave offense to our loving God. Hosea 2:18–20 tells of the covenant God will make with everyone He created, including the birds of the sky. These gentle and sensitive individuals are part of His redemption plan, and to harm them in the name of “fine dining” is an affront to His kindness and mercy. The best way to share God’s love for every sentient being is to go vegan. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is full of delicious recipes to help get you started today.
