Animal Equality goes to Paris to defend ducks and geese and stop foie gras from being served at the Olympic Games

What happened in Paris?

Over 60,000 people (and counting!) have joined us in calling on the Olympic Games’ organisers to remove foie gras from the hospitality menu ahead of the event commencing this Friday.

With the support of local French organisations and volunteers we went to Paris to represent these signatories and the millions of ducks and geese trapped in miserable foie gras farms in France and around the world. Together, we sent a clear message to the organisers of the Olympic Games: the public will not tolerate animal abuse.

Armed with placards and banners, we stood outside the organisers’ offices showing passersby the harrowing practices that take place on foie gras farms.

We showed the locals images of these suffering animals, visibly in distress as 30cm tubes were rammed down their throats, forcing them to consume far more food than they would ever willingly eat. Ducks used for foie-gras are force-fed up to 45 times throughout their lives, while geese can be force-fed up to 63 times. Once their livers swell up to ten times their natural size, the animals are slaughtered, and their diseased livers will be served to VIP guests at the Olympics.

Executive Director of Animal Equality UK, Abigail Penny, personally delivered 60,000+ petition signatures to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.

But we didn’t stop there!

Later that evening, we shone a light on the cruelty involved in foie gras made by force-feeding. We took to the streets of Paris, projecting our important message on buildings all across the city: we do not accept animal abuse and we want foie gras OUT of the Olympics!

In the heart of Paris, just days ahead of one of the world’s most anticipated sports events, we captured the attention of thousands of local Parisians and tourists passing through the city. We took action for animals while the international community looked on in support, prompting people to question the Committee’s menu choice, rethink their own food choices, and switch to plant-based alternatives.

Why did we go to Paris?

Over the past month, Animal Equality has been tirelessly campaigning to remove foie gras from the Olympic Games’ hospitality menu.

• Our President and Co-Founder, Sharon Núñez, launched the campaign by sending a letter directly to the event organisers expressing our concerns about this controversial menu item.
• Our supporters and concerned members of the public have rallied behind us, amassing over 60,000 signatures on our global petition, calling on the organisers to remove foie gras.
• We sent a second follow up letter to organisers, signed by Olympic medalists, conservationists, sustainability experts, and animal welfare academics, highlighting to the organisers the detrimental impact of the foie gras industry on animals, the environment, and human health.
• We also coordinated an email and social media campaign, prompting thousands of Animal Equality supporters to message the event’s organisers and to voice their concerns to chefs working in VIP hospitality at the Games. So far, a staggering 15,000 emails have been sent to the organisers and the chefs’ instagram posts are flooded with comments in support of our campaign.
• Our campaign has seen widespread media coverage around the globe, with articles released in mainstream media publications in France, the UK, Spain, Italy and Mexico, including in Le Monde, Forbes, the Independent, and the Mirror!

However, despite our extensive digital efforts, the organisers have so far failed to take action.

With the Olympic Games commencing on Friday, the urgency to get foie gras off the hospitality menu has never been greater. This is why we decided to escalate our campaign with an in-person visit.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of geese and millions of ducks suffer at the hands of the merciless foie gras industry in France alone. Through the release of over ten investigations into foie gras farms over Europe, 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.

Enough is enough. The fact that any restaurant or corporation is serving this cruelty is disgraceful. It’s even more shocking that the Olympic Games, an event which purports to serve responsible and sustainable food, is endorsing this vile product.

Animal Equality will fight for these birds until the bitter end. This is a signal to all restaurants and hospitality groups: we are unstoppable. One menu at a time, we will get foie gras ditched for good. One day, ducks and geese will be swimming in open water where they belong.

Help ducks and geese with a donation

The best way you can help all farmed animals is to switch to plant-based alternatives. Check out our Love Veg website and kickstart your plant-based journey today.

You can also help animals trapped in this system of suffering by supporting our work with a donation. With your support, we can expose more farms, secure better animal protection laws, and pressure more organisations to ditch cruel animal products.