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The Trend to Stop the Cruelty of Foie Gras Hits Speed Bump - Your Help is Needed
May 15, 2008

In 2006, the Chicago City Council responded to the concerns of its citizens by banning-by a 48–1 vote-the sale of foie gras. Since that time, the Illinois Restaurant Association, led by Mayor Daley's former chief of staff, has relentlessly politicized this strongly supported humane measure— first filing a lawsuit to overturn the ban in 2007 (which they lost) and then appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Oral argument in this appeal was scheduled for May 27.

However, on May 14 Alderman Thomas Tunney (4th ward), who is a former Illinois Restaurant Association Chair, surreptitiously bypassed committee debate and hearings and motioned to have the Chicago Ordinance banning the sale of foie gras repealed-thereby avoiding all public input.

Unfortunately, his efforts to subvert the system worked, and the body agreed on the repeal. While the repeal of Chicago's foie gras ban is disappointing, this only renews our determination to stop the foie gras industry once and for all-including pushing for a statewide foie gras ban in Illinois.

Background:
Foie gras is produced by force-feeding confined ducks or geese enormous amounts of food-up to a third of their body weight-several times a day. A worker grabs each duck and, one by one, thrusts a metal pipe down his throat so that a mixture of corn can be forced directly into his gullet. The force feeding causes the birds' livers to swell up to 10 times their normal size and develop a diseased state known as hepatic lipidosis. As disease wracks their bodies, the ducks become unable to walk, stand or even breathe without extreme pain.

The cruel conditions of force feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras is well known:

• Foie gras production has been banned in California andmore than a dozen countries, including Israel, formerly the world's third-largest foie gras producer.

• Scores of dining establishments (including 217 in Illinois alone) have removed foie gras from their menus, owing to the extreme cruelty involved in its production.

• Even top-notch chefs like Wolfgang Puck have spoken out publicly against the cruelty of foie gras production.

• Luminaries like Pope Benedict XVI and Prince Charles of England have spoken out against the cruelty of foie gras production-the latter banning it from royal menus earlier in 2008.

• In May 2008, the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (comprised of experts including former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and former University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dr. Michael Blackwell) released a report urging, among other things, that the force feeding of ducks or geese be phased out.

Alderman Tunney's proposal was not debated or discussed on the floor or in committee. Without that opportunity, members could only vote based on the little bit of propaganda that they might have recalled from Mayor Daley and his cronies two years prior.

Therefore, the work ahead of us is clear: The public, and especially decision makers, needs to be informed about the egregious cruelty of foie gras production.

You Can Help:
Though the repeal in Chicago is a setback to our efforts, it does not impact our overall efforts, truth and message on the foie gras front. Please take action today to make sure that even though we are one step back, we will take many steps forward.

1. Start or join a No Foie Gras Campaign in your community! Inform the public by handing out educational leaflets, holding peaceful demonstrations at restaurants that serve foie gras, and talking to restaurant or store owners about removing foie gras from their menus. Check out our calendar of local actions to get involved. And contact us for a free foie gras outreach packet.

2. If you live in Chicago — please contact your alderman to express your disappointment over the Council's vote. If you live in Illinois, please contact your state legislators. Take this opportunity to meet with them now, in person while they are out of session and in your community. Urge them to strongly support the bill to ban foie gras production and sale that will be introduced when they reconvene in January. A face-to-face meeting has the impact of 100 calls or emails.

3. If you live anywhere else - please ask your city councilors and state representatives to sponsor a foie gras ban. Learn where legislation is currently pending. Let them know Farm Sanctuary can help with expert information and model language; just email us for assistance.

4. Learn more about the cruelty of foie gras production at www.nofoiegras.org.

Thank you for taking action today to help animals!