The key facts
- Initiative 86 bans force-feeding of birds and the sale of products from them, including foie gras, with civil fines
- The referendum gathered 46,020 signatures — a record for the city; the Pro-Animal DC group spent more than $470,000 on the campaign
- About 50 restaurants in Washington sell foie gras; restaurateurs, including José Andrés, opposed the ban
Referendum in the US capital
Voters in Washington will decide on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, whether to ban foie gras within the District of Columbia. The referendum, known as Initiative 86, prohibits 'force-feeding a bird to enlarge its liver beyond normal size' and 'the sale or distribution of any products' obtained this way, including foie gras. Violators face civil fines. The National reports this.
The essence of the dispute and the campaign
Foie gras is made from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that are force-fed — a method known as gavage. Pro-Animal DC, the group behind the ban, calls the practice inhumane: according to its claims, the birds become so sick that many can barely walk or stand. According to a filing with the District's Office of Campaign Finance, the group spent more than $470,000 on lobbying efforts. To make it onto the ballot, the initiative gathered 46,020 signatures — more than any petition in the city's history. On the same day, residents of Denver, Colorado, will vote on a similar question.
Who is against: restaurateurs
About 50 restaurants in Washington sell foie gras, including Butterworth's on Capitol Hill, which has become a meeting place for Donald Trump's circle. The establishment's owner, Bart Hutchins, introduced a four-course foie gras tasting menu for $150 in protest. In a column for The Washington Post, he wrote that overeating is natural for birds before their annual migration, and that 'foie gras production enhances a natural biological process rather than inventing a cruel one,' citing depictions of force-feeding in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Also opposing the ban was José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, who owns several restaurants in the District: he ironically suggested then 'banning beef, pork and chicken… and vegetables too,' and called for fighting child hunger first.
Context: where foie gras is already banned
The sale of foie gras is already banned in California, New York and Pittsburgh, and in Portland, Oregon, the ban is set to take effect by the end of this year. Brazil banned the product in 2026, India became the first country with such a ban in 2014, and production is banned in Australia, Argentina and a number of European countries. If Washington voters approve the initiative, the ban will take effect on July 1 of next year. Producer Hudson Valley Foie Gras, according to Axios, is consulting lawyers about a possible legal challenge — so even if approved at the ballot, the fate of the ban may be decided in court.
