What did Brazil ban regarding foie gras?

Since July 2026, Brazil has banned the production and sale of any food obtained through force-feeding animals, including foie gras. The technique, known as gavage, involves inserting metal or plastic tubes into the throats of ducks and geese to pump large amounts of feed into their stomachs, causing the liver to swell with fat. Brazil is now the second country in the world to ban foie gras production and trade.

What other animal practices are still legal but controversial?

Despite the foie gras ban, experts and animal-rights activists say several other practices in Brazil's livestock sector remain deeply problematic and, in their view, contradict the animal cruelty protections written into the Federal Constitution — a principle already upheld by the Supreme Court (STF).

  • Male chick culling: Male chicks in the egg industry are routinely discarded at birth because they cannot lay eggs.
  • Live cattle exports: Every year, millions of cattle spend weeks on ships in cramped, unsanitary conditions before being slaughtered, mostly in Middle Eastern countries. Many animals die during the crossing.
  • Slaughter of pregnant cows: Currently permitted under existing regulation, despite growing calls for a ban.
  • Gestation crates for sows and battery cages for hens: Intensive confinement systems remain in widespread use.
  • Donkey slaughter: Donkey hides are exported mainly to China. Experts warn this largely unmonitored practice may push Brazil's donkey population toward extinction, with estimates suggesting a large share has already been slaughtered.

What do specialists say?

Arthur Regis, a public-policy specialist at the NGO Sinergia Animal, argues that animals possess intrinsic dignity recognised by the Constitution and the Supreme Court, and that many current practices "are inherently cruel and unjustifiable." Veterinarian Carla Forte Maiolino Molento, coordinator of the Animal Welfare Laboratory (LABEA) at the Federal University of Paraná, agrees that economic interests still override animal welfare in Brazil and identifies live cattle exports, pregnant-cow slaughter, and donkey slaughter as the three practices most urgently needing prohibition.

Key Facts:
  • Brazil banned foie gras production and trade as of July 2026.
  • Brazil is the second country in the world to impose this ban.
  • Force-feeding (gavage) uses metal or plastic tubes to flood duck and goose stomachs with feed.
  • Millions of cattle are shipped live each year, mainly to Middle Eastern markets.
  • Donkey slaughter for hide exports to China is largely unmonitored and may threaten the species locally.
  • Male chick culling, gestation crates, and battery cages remain legal.