Animal issue
Foie gras
Foie gras production force-feeds ducks and geese to enlarge their livers fivefold. It's a clear cruelty — and unlike most factory-farm practices, it's politically winnable to ban at the city and state level.
What's at stake
Roughly half a million ducks are force-fed each year in U.S. foie gras production. California has banned production statewide, and cities like New York have passed sale bans that the industry has spent years fighting in court. Foie gras isn’t a fight that ends factory farming — it’s a fight where animal-protection coalitions can win, build durable political muscle, and prove that animal-welfare laws can hold.
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What we fund within this issue
- Local and state campaigns to ban or restrict foie gras production and sale.
- Legal defense of bans against industry challenges in court.
- Narrative and media work that makes the issue legible to policymakers and the public.
- Research and coalition-building that connects food-animal advocates with political organizations.
Current focus
Local-ban work in cities actively considering ordinances, plus structured research into how foie gras campaigns build durable political infrastructure for adjacent issues.
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If you do work on this issue
We work mostly by invitation but welcome conversations. Read about how we fund, then email grants@zoafund.org with a brief description of your organization, the work, and why it fits.