Shops that have banned foie gras under pressure from activists, media and customers - rather than trying to offer ethically produced foie gras - still sell goose and duck fat from foie gras birds. Places like Harvey Nichols. And the same goes for 'posh-rustic' foods like cassoulet, duck confit and pâtés are included in this by the way - they all contain birds that have been force-fed. Because one great thing about foie gras is that none of the animal is wasted.
In France, even foie gras birds reared in an intensive farming system were free-range in spacious fields for most of their lives. They have much nicer lives than most pigs and chickens. So, foie gras and other products made from foie gras birds are more ethically sound than the vast majority of chicken or pork. But if you're against force-feeding, don't buy French goose or duck fat for your roast spuds! And if you're against foie gras in principle, you cannot justify buying intensively farmed chicken or pork. It is worse than foie gras.
Merry Christmas.
