origins and history

Ancient and pre‑industrial origins. Spaniards have consumed livers of fattened waterfowl since antiquity. Roman author Aelian described Iberian geese being overfed with figs, but there is little evidence of continuous production in Spain during the Middle Ages. In the 20th century, foie gras remained a predominantly French specialty; Spanish diners consumed imported foie. 1970s–1980s: introduction by French migrants and artisanal pioneers. Modern production began in the early 1980s when families with Franco‑Spanish roots established small farms in northern Spain. Collverd, founded in 1980 in Alt Empordà (Catalonia), reared ducks in semi‑freedom and built a local slaughterhouse and artisanal processing plant[9]. In 1989 the de Prado family created Selectos de Castilla in Villamartín de Campos (Palencia), combining French know‑how with Castilian climate; the company fattened ducks on corn under Label Rouge standards and exported roughly 25 % of production[10]. By 1990 Spain produced only about 34 000 animals[11]. 1990s–2000s: scaling up with French partnerships. Production gradually expanded. Official EU statistics recorded 45 000 ducks in 1995 and 55 000 in 1996[11]. The industry remained artisanal until the late 1990s, when Spanish entrepreneurs partnered with French cooperatives. Martiko, founded in 1986 in Navarre, began large‑scale operations in the 1990s and developed hatchery, feed‑mill and processing facilities. In the early 2000s, French cooperative Lur Berri formed Agropecuaria del Pato (ADP) with Martiko; Lur Berri planned production and provided feed and technical support while Martiko managed processing. By 2020 the partnership was fattening around 637 600 ducks[12]. 2010–2015: industrial consolidation and creation of Interpalm. In 2010 producers formed Interpalm (Interprofessional Association of Fatty Palmipeds), bringing together 26 farms, 6 slaughterhouses and 9 processing plants[13]. Membership later grew to 39 producers[14]. Government support through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and rural development funds encouraged modernisation of facilities and compliance with EU hygiene regulations. In 2014 the government issued Royal Decree 474/2014, which codified meat‑product definitions and specified that foie gras must be the liver of geese or ducks fattened to hypertrophy[5], effectively protecting force‑feeding. By 2015 the number of ducks raised exceeded 1.039 million[15]. 2016–2019: export growth but market saturation. After minor decline in 2016–2017, production rebounded. Producers raised 886 262 ducks in 2018 and 1.074 million in 2019, producing more than 600 tonnes of foie gras[8]. Export revenue fluctuated—€5.5 million in 2015, €2.19 million in 2016 and €2.60 million in 2019[16]. Spain became the second largest consumer, with national consumption of 3 150 tonnes (≈63 g per capita) in 2018[8]. Domestic demand, driven by festive meals and haute cuisine, outpaced production, creating a market for imported French foie gras. 2020–2023: pandemic and avian‑influenza shocks. The COVID‑19 pandemic closed restaurants and cut exports, causing production to drop to 487 tonnes in 2020[17]. Interpalm noted that the sector raised 933 031 ducks in 2021 and total sales reached €53.8 million, with exports worth €3.6 million[14]. Avian‑influenza outbreaks in France forced Spain to import fewer day‑old ducklings, reducing production by about 40 %[18]. By 2023 the sector recovered slightly, producing 525 tonnes of foie gras from 919 143 ducks, generating €4.1 million in export revenue[1]. Spain remained the fourth largest EU producer[1]. 2024–2025: political contestation. Activists gathered over 100 000 signatures asking parliament to ban force‑feeding. In March 2025 the parties Sumar and PSOE introduced a non‑legislative motion (PNL). On 25 November 2025 the Agriculture Commission approved the PNL (19 votes for, 17 against) requiring government studies on animal‑welfare impacts and economic consequences[7]. The motion did not ban force‑feeding but signalled growing political scrutiny.

Pre‑1980s: There was virtually no commercial foie gras production in the United States[10]. Culinary demand existed in French restaurants, and occasional hunters or small farms made pâtés from wild waterfowl, but no industrial operations existed. Early 1980s – Commonwealth Enterprises: Israeli‑born entrepreneur Izzy Yanay immigrated to the U.S. in 1982. He discovered that Moulard/Mulard ducks (a hybrid of Muscovy drakes and Pekin hens) were ideal for foie gras because of their large livers and absence of gag reflex[11]. Yanay partnered with local investors to form Commonwealth Enterprises, the first U.S. foie gras farm, in the Catskills. Commonwealth initially struggled with disease and feed technology. 1989–1990 – Birth of Hudson Valley Foie Gras (HVFG): Yanay was dismissed from Commonwealth but quickly partnered with former bond trader Michael Ginor. They purchased an abandoned chicken farm near Liberty, New York and invested US$1.5 million (half borrowed) to launch Hudson Valley Foie Gras[11]. By vertically integrating (importing day‑old ducks, mixing feed, raising and slaughtering birds on site) and forging relationships with chefs, HVFG grew into a US$9 million business with a 22 % pretax margin by the late 1990s[11]. Activists began protesting in the early 1990s, staging pickets at the farm and in New York City. 1990s – Competing operations: Commonwealth continued under different ownership but eventually closed. HVFG became the dominant U.S. producer, controlling most of the domestic market. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, La Belle Farm was established in nearby Sullivan County, New York. La Belle built several barns and refined feed technology (electric compressors delivering corn/soy slurry)[12]. In 2003 the industry produced ≈340 metric tons of foie gras[1]. 2003–2006 – Expansion and state support: The Economic Importance of the New York State Foie Gras Industry report estimated that New York producers generated US$14.5 million in foie gras sales (≈71 % of the U.S. market) and that the sector produced 42 % of New York’s meat poultry value[2]. The Empire State Development Corporation awarded HVFG a $420 000 grant in 2006 to expand manure treatment[13]. The industry also supplied specialty distributors such as D’Artagnan. 2004–2012 – California law: In 2004 California enacted SB 1520, prohibiting force‑feeding birds and banning the sale of foie gras produced by force‑feeding; the law took effect on 1 July 2012 and imposed civil penalties up to US$1 000 per violation per day[6]. HVFG and supporters challenged the law but the Ninth Circuit upheld it in 2022[5]. When the ban took effect, HVFG lost about one‑third of its total sales[14]. 2000s–2010s – National controversies: In 2001 The New York Times profiled the industry’s labour practices under the headline “No Days Off at Foie Gras Farm; Workers Complain, but Owner Cites Stress on Ducks.” Activists continued undercover investigations and launched campaigns to ban foie gras. In 2006 the Chicago City Council passed Ordinance PO‑05‑1895, prohibiting any food establishment from selling foie gras; violators faced fines between US$250 and US$500 per offense[15]. The ordinance passed 48–1 but was repealed in 2008 after strong opposition from chefs and Mayor Richard M. Daley[16]. 2010 – Environmental litigation: Environmental groups and the Humane Society sued HVFG under the Clean Water Act. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fined HVFG US$30 000 in February 2007 for over 800 environmental violations, a penalty equivalent to under US$50 per violation[17]. Federal Judge Harold Baer later required HVFG to fund US$50 000 in environmental remediation[18]. 2019 – NYC sales ban and new activism: In 2019 a coalition of animal‑welfare groups persuaded the New York City Council to pass Local Law 202, banning the sale of foie gras from force‑fed birds. HVFG and La Belle argued that about one‑third of their product is sold in New York City and that the ban could force them out of business[14]. Hundreds of farmworkers traveled to City Hall to protest. 2024 – Ban overturned: The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets ruled that Local Law 202 unreasonably restricted an agricultural practice protected under the state’s Right‑to‑Farm Law. The Albany County Supreme Court denied the City’s petition in Matter of City of New York v. Ball, effectively blocking the ban[7]. 2025 – Brookline bylaw: In May 2025, the town of Brookline, Massachusetts adopted a bylaw prohibiting the sale of force‑fed foie gras at restaurants and shops, imposing a US$300 per‑violation fine. Advocacy groups continue to campaign for bans in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and other cities.