Washington, D.C., is set to ban foie gras after a ballot initiative passed, though some hurdles remain.
Opposition to foie gras, the cooked, fatty liver of ducks obtained by force-feeding them large amounts of unhealthy food, has long been a cause célèbre for animal rights activists. Pro-Animal DC got the proposed ban on the ballot after collecting 31,726 signatures through a viral campaign.
Initiative 86, passed with roughly 73% of the vote, approves a ban that is set to take effect on July 1. Animal rights activists were quick to celebrate the victory.
“Tonight D.C. decided that force-feeding a bird has no place here,” Cady Witt, campaign director of Pro-Animal DC, told Axios in a statement.
Under the ban, the importation and distribution of the luxury dish would be banned, and restaurants and retailers would be required to cease selling it and the dishes containing it. Violators would face a fine between $1,000 and $5,000, and repeated offenses could cost offenders their business licenses.
Pro-Animal DC dedicated its website to pushing for the ban. Visitors are greeted with information about the ballot initiative and touts endorsements from over 100 local restaurants, veterinarians, and animal rescues.
“Ducks and geese are still being force-fed until their livers become diseased, all for an expensive dish served at fancy restaurants. It’s time to end this inhumane practice,” the website read, calling the required force-feeding “cruel and unnecessary.”
The initiative also garnered endorsements from some heavy-hitters, such as D.C. Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa.
“DC residents have shown we’re ready for a cruelty-free DC and that compassion isn’t separate from the fights over housing, health-care, and statehood,” Owolewa said in a statement on the group’s website. “That’s why I hope you’ll join me in voting yes on Initiative 86 to end the sale of foie gras made from force-fed birds.”
INITIATIVE TO BAN FOIE GRAS IN DC MAKES IT ONTO NOVEMBER BALLOT
D.C. Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George also told reporters that she voted in favor of the ban, citing her commitment to animal rights.
Despite the ballot passing, D.C. must still pay for its enforcement, which the district’s chief financial officer estimates would cost $314,000 over four fiscal years. It’s also set to be challenged in court, as similar efforts have held back a similar ban in New York City.