A public-opinion survey commissioned by DC Voters for Animals finds overwhelming, cross-ward support for banning foie gras made by force-feeding birds.
When it comes to how animals are treated, DC voters are far more united than our politics might suggest. A public-opinion survey commissioned by DC Voters for Animals finds that District residents overwhelmingly want the city to stop the sale of foie gras produced by force-feeding ducks and geese.
78% of DC voters would support a citywide law banning the sale of force-fed foie gras. That support is consistent among neighborhoods, age groups, and diets.
What we found
Animal welfare is a core value here. Asked how important it is that animals raised for food are treated well, 95% of DC voters said it matters. This includes 75% who said it is “very important.” Only about 3% said it wasn’t important to them.
DC is ready for a ban. When asked whether they would support a citywide law prohibiting the sale of foie gras made by force-feeding birds, 78% said yes. Fewer than 9% were opposed, and the rest were unsure. Support held across all eight wards.
Diners don’t want it on the menu. Force-feeding carries such a negative association that most residents would rather take their business elsewhere. 61% said they prefer to support restaurants that do not sell foie gras, compared with just 9% who prefer restaurants that do.
Almost nobody is actually eating it. This isn’t a beloved local staple. More than half of DC voters say they never eat foie gras, and only about 8% eat it as often as once a month. A ban would spare birds from cruelty while affecting the daily lives of very few people.
Once people learn how it’s made, opinions move. Fewer than half of voters (46%) knew that foie gras production involves force-feeding birds, before taking the survey. As awareness grows, so does the desire for a prohibition.
Why it matters
Foie gras is made by forcing a tube down the throats of ducks and geese and pumping in far more food than they would naturally eat. This is a process called gavage that swells their livers to as much as eight to ten times the normal size.¹ The practice is already prohibited in roughly 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, which banned production in 2007, and Israel, whose Supreme Court outlawed force-feeding in 2003 when the country was one of the world’s largest producers.² In the United States, California has banned the sale of force-fed foie gras since 2012,³ and New York City’s own sales ban, passed in 2019, was cleared by a New York appeals court in 2026, though a separate court injunction won by foie gras producers has so far kept it from taking effect.⁴
This survey makes it clear that DC residents are ready for a force-fed foie gras ban. It reflects a value shared across every ward, age group, income level, and diet, that animals raised for food deserve humane treatment. A ban would bring the city’s laws in line with what its voters already believe, and put DC alongside jurisdictions that have already acted.
DC Voters for Animals commissioned this research to give the city’s residents a voice on the issue. That voice is loud, and it is clear: the District is ready for action.
The fine print: methodology and detailed results
This section is for readers who want the full numbers behind the story above.
How the survey was conducted
- Commissioned by: DC Voters for Animals
- Fielded by: Dynata
- Sample: 438 registered District of Columbia voters
- Field dates: August 29 – September 29, 2023
- Geography: All eight DC wards represented
- Statistical testing: 95% / 90% confidence (z-test); percentages based on total answering
An earlier, larger cut of the same study (n=500, fielded through September 11, 2023) showed materially the same results, with 73% support for a ban. The figures reported here use the final n=438 dataset, which also underlies the demographic crosstabs below.
Sample composition (n=438)
| Characteristic | Breakdown |
| Age | 18–29: 23% · 30–44: 31% · 45–54: 25% · 55–64: 9% · 65+: 12% (mean age 43) |
| Gender | Man: 55% · Woman: 44% · Non-binary: 1% |
| Race | White: 54% · Black/African American: 34% · Hispanic/Latino: 5% · Asian/SA/PI: 2% · Other/multiple: ~4% |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree: 31% · Postgraduate: 28% · Some college / associate: 28% · HS or less: 13% |
| Household income | <$40k: 14% · $40–75k: 17% · $75–100k: 18% · $100–150k: 20% · $150k+: 27% |
| Diet | Omnivore: 61% · Flexitarian: 21% · Pescetarian: 8% · Vegetarian: 7% · Vegan/plant-based: 3% |
| Wards | Roughly even across Wards 1–8 (9–15% each) |
Full question results (n=438)
How important is it to you that animals raised for food be treated well?
| Response | % |
| Very important | 75.3% |
| Somewhat important | 19.9% |
| Not important | 2.7% |
| Don’t know / no opinion | 2.1% |
| Important (net) | 95.2% |
Would you support a citywide law in DC to prohibit the sale of foie gras made by force-feeding birds?
| Response | % |
| Yes | 78.3% |
| No | 8.7% |
| I don’t know | 13.0% |
Support was distributed evenly across all eight wards. It also held across diet groups: majorities of omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans alike backed a ban.
Does whether a restaurant sells foie gras from force-fed birds affect whether you’re likely to support that restaurant?
| Response | % |
| Prefer restaurants that do NOT sell foie gras | 60.7% |
| Whether or not it’s sold does not affect my support | 30.1% |
| Prefer restaurants that DO sell foie gras | 9.1% |
Prior to this survey, did you know that foie gras production involves force-feeding?
| Response | % |
| Yes | 46.3% |
| No | 39.3% |
| Had not heard of foie gras before | 14.4% |
How often do you eat foie gras?
| Response | % |
| Never | 51.8% |
| Unsure / don’t know what it is | 5.9% |
| Less than once per year | 13.7% |
| 1–2 times per year | 11.2% |
| 3–11 times per year | 9.8% |
| At least once per month | 7.5% |
Notable demographic patterns
- Awareness tracks consumption. Voters who eat foie gras more frequently were far more likely to already know it involves force-feeding; the majority who “never” eat it were also least aware of how it is produced.
- Frequent foie gras eaters skew male and higher-income. Among the small share eating it monthly, 85% were men, versus 55% of the sample overall.
- Concern for animal welfare is broad-based. “Very important” responses to Q3 ranged from 63% (Ward 8) to 86% (Ward 7), with no ward falling below a clear majority.
Source: “Attitudes on Foie Gras,” a survey of registered DC voters commissioned by DC Voters for Animals and fielded by Dynata, August–September 2023. Reported figures use the final n=438 dataset (fielded through 9/29/23); an earlier n=500 cut (through 9/11/23) showed 73% support for a ban.
Sources
- “Foie Gras,” Farm Sanctuary, https://www.farmsanctuary.org/foie-gras/ ; “Where Is Foie Gras Banned? Countries, States, & Cities,” LegalClarity, https://legalclarity.org/where-is-foie-gras-banned-countries-states-cities/
- “Where Is Foie Gras Banned? Countries, States, & Cities,” LegalClarity, https://legalclarity.org/where-is-foie-gras-banned-countries-states-cities/ ; “Where is Foie Gras Banned? Complete Guide by Country (2026),” Pro-Animal Future, https://proanimal.org/where-is-foie-gras-banned-complete-guide-by-country-2026/
- California Senate Bill 1520 (enacted 2004, effective July 1, 2012); see “Where Is Foie Gras Banned? Countries, States, & Cities,” LegalClarity, https://legalclarity.org/where-is-foie-gras-banned-countries-states-cities/
- “New York court clears way for NYC foie gras ban to take effect,” Gothamist, https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-court-clears-way-for-nyc-foie-gras-ban-to-take-effect ; “Court Clears Way for NYC Foie Gras Ban, But Obstacles Remain,” United Poultry Concerns, https://www.upc-online.org/ducks/260314_court_clears_way_for_nyc_foie_gras_ban-but_obstacles_remain.html