New York City Foie Gras Ban Overturned in Heartbreaking Ruling

In a monumental miscarriage of justice, the New York State Supreme court has recently ruled against New York City's ban on foie gras.

New York's historic law banning this product of torture was enacted by the New York City Council in 2019 and was set to go into effect in 2022. Unfortunately, duck and goose farmers from upstate New York, who value profit over the ethical treatment of animals, challenged the ban. The case was tied up in the courts for years until the ruling at the end of June overturned the law.

In ruling against the ban, the New York State Supreme Court claimed that New York State laws promoting and protecting the agricultural economy override local laws passed to prevent animal cruelty. This position is significantly out of step with the legislative trend across the nation, where local ordinances often lead the way in promoting animal welfare.

In response to the ruling, the NYC Law Department stated: “We believe the city has the authority to implement this local law, which is intended solely to ban the sale of foie gras in the city. The law in no way restricts or regulates upstate farms. We are carefully reviewing this ruling and determining next steps.”

Although there is a possibility that New York City will appeal, this ruling is a significant step backward in the fight to abolish the cruel practice of force-feeding ducks and geese until they suffer fatty liver disease.

This case also highlights the importance of working towards a national ban. We must continue putting pressure on the USDA to outlaw foie gras for violating the Poultry Products Inspection Act, which requires that “diseased poultry carcasses and parts be condemned.”

Please consider sharing our petition so that we can continue to raise awareness of this important issue. We cannot allow the heartbreaking situation in New York to discourage us, as animals everywhere are counting on us to keep fighting for them.

Thank you for using your voice to help end the suffering of ducks and geese.