Brock Burlington
Foie gras, the silky, indulgent duck liver dish that is served at higher scale restaurants, is set to be banned in New York City in 2022.
While it is easy to scoff at something that costs $30 a scoop as an elitist ‘so what’, there is a back story to how foie gras is actually sourced from two small farms north of New York. And those farms are powered by 400 workers whose livelihood depends on foie gras.
Foie gras was deemed unethical because ducks are force fed foods that make their liver fatty. Foie gras’ texture and flavor comes from forcing a duck to eat a diet that is so unhealthy, their livers store fat.
The farms power the local economy with over $40 million in sales per year. Without that money, schools, businesses and the lives of those who produce the product will be thrown into chaos and financial hardship, perhaps even ruin.
