Brazil has officially become the first country in Latin America to ban the production, import, and sale of products created through the force-feeding of animals. That means foie gras, the French pâté made from the fattened liver of geese and ducks, is off the menu.
Twenty countries around the world, including the UK, Italy, Ireland, Australia, Turkey, and Argentina, have banned the production of foie gras. However, most of those laws don’t extend to imports. In fact, Brazil joins only India in banning both the production and importation of the French delicacy.
“This is a historic moment,” said Sharon Núñez, the president of Animal Equality. The international nonprofit has campaigned tirelessly against foie gras, even gathering more than 310,000 signatures on a petition urging the Brazilian government to pass a ban.
“Foie gras represents one of the cruelest practices inflicted on animals exploited for human consumption, and this victory is even more significant because it happens in a country with major global weight in the livestock industry,” added Núñez.
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France lobbies against Brazil’s foie gras ban
One part of the world, though, isn’t happy with the new ban, which was approved unanimously by Congress. Some French diplomats have expressed frustration, especially given the timing.
In January 2026, a landmark trade agreement between the European Union and four South American countries—Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay—went into force. The agreement reduces or eliminates tariffs on various goods, including food items. But France will now be unable to take advantage of the agreement to ship foie gras to Brazil
French diplomats reportedly attempted to stop the ban from passing, arguing that foie gras production is not cruel, but lawmakers approved the measure anyway.
“Brazil has shown that ethical standards are not negotiable—not even under pressure from national and international economic interests,” Núñez continued. “We are confident that this progress will inspire and drive change in other parts of the world.”
Is a US foie gras ban on the horizon?
Could the US be next? Animal Equality is campaigning for a federal ban on the sale and production of foie gras in the country and has already gathered more than 442,300 signatures on a US-focused petition.
California banned foie gras in 2012, but while the production is still prohibited, a 2020 court ruling allowed third-party delivery companies to resume shipping the French pâté into the state. In 2019, New York banned the production and sale of foie gras, but, again, the law does not extend to importation. Brookline, Massachusetts and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania have also banned the sale of foie gras.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
