OVERFED & EXPLOITED
We investigate the brutal foie gras industry
Although we’ve got a long way to go, historically, the UK is known to have better animal welfare than the rest of Europe. Britain was the first country to introduce an animal welfare law, as well as numerous legislations that protect animals in our country. As a result of these regulations, the production of foie gras in the UK is banned, yet, the importing of it into the country is still legal.
Each year, the UK imports an estimated 180-200 tonnes of foie gras from mainland Europe, and whilst this makes us the smallest consumer market out of 10 importing countries (France being the largest, at around 14,000 tonnes a year), it still means that the UK contributes to this cruel industry.
Currently, in Britain, foie gras is only sold by a few high-end retailers and delis, like Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, and appears on the menus of expensive restaurants, catering for just a minority of people. In 2018, a YouGov poll found that less than 10 per cent of the public actually claim to eat foie gras, and it also found overwhelming support for an import ban, with 79 per cent of people polled expressing an opinion in favour of implementing one in the UK.