Research Gaps

18 open questions across 7 domains

market

How has restaurant-level foie gras consumption changed in NYC since the 2022 ban?

high

Evidence: Pre-ban: ~1,000 restaurants served it. Post-ban compliance and workaround data needed.

open

Which specific restaurants stopped serving foie gras due to campaigns vs bans vs voluntary choice?

high

Evidence: Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Trotter stopped voluntarily. Need systematic tracking.

open

What is the complete price history of foie gras (farm gate, wholesale, retail) over time?

medium

Evidence: Current spot prices available but no historical time series.

open

What is the full supply chain map from farm to table for US foie gras?

medium

Evidence: D'Artagnan, Baldor, Pat LaFrieda identified as distributors. Full chain mapping incomplete.

open

What are the detailed financial statements of US foie gras producers?

medium

Evidence: HVFG ~$35M revenue estimated. No public financials. D'Artagnan ~$140M (private). Fortune International acquisition terms unknown.

open

policy

How effective were bans at actually reducing foie gras consumption vs displacing it?

high

Evidence: California ban may have shifted to imports. Chicago repeal suggests ineffectiveness. Comparative analysis needed.

open

production

How much foie gras does China actually produce and export?

high

Evidence: Estimates say 7,000+ tonnes (30-45% of global). Hard trade data scarce. Linqu cluster data is from local propaganda.

open

How has the avian influenza crisis affected global foie gras production capacity?

high

Evidence: French production crashed from 18K to 8.4K tonnes (2019-2022). Full global impact analysis needed.

open

What happened to the Israeli foie gras industry after the 2003 ban?

medium

Evidence: Israel produced ~500 tonnes/year. Did producers relocate? What happened to workers?

open

What alternative foie gras production methods exist and what are their production volumes?

medium

Evidence: Eduardo Sousa ethical foie gras (Spain), FoieGood Welfair certification mentioned but no volume data.

open

What is the Romanian foie gras production story?

low

Evidence: Romania mentioned occasionally but has no dossier. May be emerging producer.

open

welfare

What are the actual mortality rates at US foie gras farms (HVFG, La Belle)?

high

Evidence: Industry claims 2-4%, Belgian data shows 7-9%. No independent US data exists.

open

What is the full environmental impact of foie gras production (water, waste, emissions)?

high

Evidence: HSUS Clean Water Act suit hints at waste issues. No systematic environmental assessment exists.

open

What is the complete worker safety record at US foie gras facilities?

high

Evidence: Garcia wrongful death case at HVFG. Broader occupational hazard data extremely sparse.

open

cultural

What are the full press archives on foie gras — which publications covered it most and how did framing shift?

medium

Evidence: LA Times, Guardian, Village Voice are top sources. Systematic media analysis needed.

open

history

What is the full history of foie gras in European cuisine (Roman through 20th century)?

medium

Evidence: Only one doc covers pre-1980. Rich European culinary history unexplored.

open

science

What are the actual cortisol/corticosterone levels in gavage-fed vs control ducks?

medium

Evidence: Referenced conceptually in welfare literature but no specific quantitative measurements cited.

open

What is the genetic and breeding program data for Mulard ducks used in foie gras?

low

Evidence: Mulard hybrid dominance documented but breeding programs, genetic diversity, and selection criteria unexplored.

open