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California Ban on Foie Gras - Became Law on July 1, 2012, Overturned on January 8, 2015


DonRocks

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I think I need to start a foie gras airlift to those poor people. It may involve chartering a freighter....an Antonov An-124 packed to the gills with livers. I'd just list them on the manifest as "biological transplant organs". Another plane full of brioche, cornichons and mustard will be close behind.

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So long as there isn’t any legislation that puts the kibosh on artificially fattening over 95% of our cattle on similar grain or a third of the human population with excessive, nutritionally deficient value meals and such, we will enjoy 2/3rds our fill of forceful feeding.

I think I need to start a foie gras airlift to those poor people. It may involve chartering a freighter....an Antonov An-124 packed to the gills with livers...

I reported on a Chicago-bound duck smuggling scheme in Gluttoneers’ Bootleg Canteen for Gluttony Digest #5, Autumn 2006.

What follows is an actual transcript of our duck smugglers’ hot pursuit, as recorded by a big-eared citizens’ band- and Robert Todd Lincoln enthusiast.

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From the article:

Mr. Pacelle [National President of the Humane Society] rejected the idea that animal rights activists were singling out a small industry rather than taking on bigger fish. “The notion that we’re picking on foie gras is soft,” he said. “There’s nobody that takes on big agriculture businesses like we do. And foie gras is just cruelty for a table treat.”

Mr. Pacelle, I sympathize with your cause. So why aren't you protesting in front of Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa restaurants, not to mention the thousands of fast-food fried chicken drive-thrus?

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Mr. Pacelle, I sympathize with your cause. So why aren't you protesting in front of Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa restaurants, not to mention the thousands of fast-food fried chicken drive-thrus?

Actually, Whiny Wayne (as he is known in some animal-loving circles) has managed to pressure KFC, Burger King, Denny's, Hardee's, Carl's Jr., McDonald's, Panera Bread, Trader Joe's, Wild Oats, Safeway, and Whole Foods to one extent or another into doing this his way, WRT eggs and pork products.

He hasn't done it alone. PeTA (which kills 95% of the animals it takes into its shelter in Norfolk, compared to a state-wide average of 25% for all other shelters in VA) has been right alongside HSUS (often referred to as "PeTA in suits). Their tactics include buying enough shares of stock to introduce policy items to be voted on at shareholders meetings, as well as threatening boycotts and demonstrations. Some of the tactics used at McDonald's, targeting their juvenile customers, have been pretty appalling.

They are, indeed, targeting a product (foie gras in this case) that has a relatively small consumer base, and is (like veal before it) considered a "luxury" food item. Divide (consumers) and conquer, is their primary tactic.

In the case of pork and eggs, they are succeeding in driving up the production costs, and thereby the costs to consumers, which will in turn lower demand (or increase demand for eggs and pork imported from other states or countries with less regulation).

I'll step off of my soapbox now, as it's making me dizzy.

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Mark Bittman on foie gras being the tip of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the treatment of livestock for most of our food.

I think Bittman misses the point a bit with this in that foie gras is a rounding error partly because it fell out of favor years ago before being banned.  As for the rest about how CAFOs and mass poultry operations work, it's well-covered ground by authors and fllm-makers, at least for people more informed about food like those on a website like this.  Buying local and seasonally is better for the environment, better for health, better for animal welfare and better tasting.  But, for the country writ large, the economics just don't work until we stop subsidizing corn, grain and feedlots like we do.  Not everyone can afford to buy local and the rest. I wish we'd see more columns, books and films address that to drive changes in legislation and Ag and FDA policies.

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