Get foie gras out of the Olympics! Animal Equality launches global campaign
Animal Equality has launched a global petition urging the Paris 2024 Olympic Games organisers to remove foie gras made by force-feeding from the hospitality menu.
The campaign follows reports released last week revealing that foie gras made by force-feeding will feature on-site within luxury lounges to premium guests that purchase a hospitality package.
Watch the video of our appeal to the Olympic Games organiser:
Help us make the voice of ducks and geese heard and join us in demanding that foie gras made by force-feeding is removed from the Olympic menu!
What’s on the menu at the Olympics?
The organisers of the Olympic Games say they are ‘focused on offering French food that is responsibly sourced, produced and consumed’, with 80% of the meals provided being locally sourced.
To offer sustainable and environmentally friendly options, around 60% of the 13 million meals provided will be meat-free and plant-based. With the aim of putting ‘more vegetables on our plates’, the offer includes vegetarian shawarma, quinoa risotto and even a vegetable-based ‘tuna’.
While Animal Equality applauds this step, which will impact millions of animals, we are concerned to see that foie gras will feature on the hospitality menu and will be served throughout the event.
What does the Olympic Committee say about foie gras?
In April, Animal Equality contacted the President, Director General and Executive Director of the International Olympic Committee.
In the letter, Animal Equality’s president and co-founder, Sharon Núñez, expressed her appreciation for the Committee’s efforts to promote environmental sustainability and asked for confirmation that foie gras would not be served at the Games, writing that offering foie gras, produced through force-feeding, would be ‘totally inconsistent with the ethics of the event’.
We have not received a reply to this letter, but we found out that foie gras will be served to guests who have purchased premium hospitality packages.
Sharon Núñez, president and co-founder of Animal Equality, commented:
“In one month the world’s eyes will be gazing upon the Games. We should be mesmerised by the talented athletes showcasing their skills and celebrating the delicious plant-based dishes on offer… we should not be distracted by animal cruelty. The Committee has already shown visionary leadership by crafting an innovative menu with nutritious plant-based meals. I urge them to listen to the international community’s concerns and remove this divisive dish from the hospitality menu.“
Matteo Cupi, Vice-President of Animal Equality in Europe, said:
“As we have documented in these years of investigations, the force-feeding to which ducks and geese are subjected is a terrible and painful practice. The Olympics should focus on celebrating shared international interests, but animal cruelty is not one of them. That is why I strongly urge the Committee to think things through and remove foie gras from the menu.“
How foie gras is produced
To produce foie gras, ducks and geese are forced to consume unnatural amounts of feed until their livers reach up to ten times their natural size. Each animal is force-fed two or three times a day for several weeks. Millions of animals experience this excruciating pain every year. Eventually, the animal’s liver becomes diseased, swelling to the size of a small football, at which point they are slaughtered.
The force-feeding behind the production of foie gras is a terrible practice, which our investigation team has documented through more than a dozen investigations in France and Spain since 2012.
In hundreds of hours of footage collected, we have shown how the animals exploited by this industry really live. Confined in metal cages, suffering from breathing difficulties and eye infections, the ducks and geese we filmed also have broken wings and beaks.
See the latest images we released into a French foie gras farms:
Among the various experts condemning the production of foie gras is Professor Donald Broom, an academic at the University of Cambridge, who has studied the effects of the process of force-feeding (or ‘gavage’) on animals. According to Professor Broom:
“The results of this research are unequivocal. The practice of force-feeding causes a marked deterioration in the welfare of ducks.“
Help us say NO to foie gras on the menu at the Olympics
Animal Equality refuses to stand by and allow this controversial cruelty to feature at the Games. But we need to act fast!
The Games are just over four weeks away and Marie-Pierre Pé, Director of Cifog – a body representing foie gras farmers – has already stated that the industry is ramping up its production in the run-up to the big event.
Animals are suffering right now for foie gras. This is more urgent than ever.
We have revealed the truth to the world. Now we need you to join us in demanding that foie gras made by force-feeding is removed from the Olympic hospitality menu.
Together, we can eradicate foie gras, one menu at a time, and ensure a brighter future for ducks and geese.
END THE CRUELTY
Foie gras is immensely cruel. Its production causes ducks and geese severe physical and psychological pain. You can protect ducks and geese by opting for plant-based alternatives.
