Voters in Washington, D.C. will vote in November on a proposed ban on foie gras, a luxury food product made from the fattened livers of ducks and geese. The D.C. Board of Elections confirmed that the Prohibiting the Force-Feeding of Birds Act of 2026, proposed by Pro-Animal D.C., has qualified for the ballot after the organization collected over 45,000 signatures, representing 5% of registered voters.
Animal rights activists argue that the force-feeding process used to produce foie gras is abusive. In contrast, some restaurant owners in D.C. have opposed the initiative, claiming that the production methods do not harm the birds and that there are more pressing issues in animal rights.
If the initiative is approved, businesses that violate the ban could face fines of up to $5,000, with repeat or serious violations potentially leading to the suspension or revocation of business licenses.