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Brazil just banned the production and sale of foie gras nationwide.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed Bill 90/2020 into law last week, making Brazil the first country in Latin America to ban foie gras, and the first in the world to introduce a comprehensive ban on foie gras sales as well as production.
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Foie gras is a paté-like French delicacy. While it is still revered as the epitome of luxury cuisine by some, its production, which requires force-feeding geese or ducks until their livers become swollen, means foie gras is also extremely controversial.
Twenty-one countries have now banned foie gras production, but only Brazil has banned all sales, too. According to Reuters, the decision to ban foie gras entirely received pushback from France, including pressure from diplomats to veto the bill.
As Brazil’s foie gras production is so small, the ban will effectively end French foie gras imports. An anonymous Brazilian diplomat told Reuters, “The argument was that their production does not involve animal cruelty, that it is a cultural issue, and so on. But there was no chance of [a veto] … It was approved unanimously by Congress.”
‘Keep your promise: ban foie gras imports’
On July 12, RFI reported that China has rapidly expanded its foie gras output to become the second-largest producer in the world. Altogether, China and France produced more than 27,000 tonnes of foie gras (up to 70 million birds) in 2025.
Also in July, activists from Animal Equality unfurled a giant banner on Victoria Embankment in London, UK, within sight of parliament, that read “KEEP YOUR PROMISE: BAN FOIE GRAS IMPORTS.” The Guardian has reported that the UK’s Labour government is planning to break its manifesto commitments to ban foie gras and fur imports in order to placate the EU. Foie Gras production has been illegal in the UK for nearly 20 years, and 77 percent of voters want a complete ban on foie gras and all animal derivatives with production methods that are already outlawed.
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‘This victory belongs to every supporter who spoke up’
Mercy For Animals celebrated Brazil’s foie gras ban in a post to Instagram. The international nonprofit wrote, “Mercy For Animals worked alongside coalition partners, lawmakers, and advocates to advance this important legislation. Together, we mobilized supporters to send more than one million messages to decision-makers, built public support across Brazil, and helped turn compassion for ducks and geese into strong legal protections.
“This victory belongs to every supporter who spoke up, every partner who stood with us, and every lawmaker who was on the right side of history and voted to protect animals. When people raise their voices, lasting change is possible.”
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