GAIA releases shocking footage of force-feeding in Wallonia and condemns political support for a cruel practice

April 15, 2026

Brussels, 15 April 2026 — GAIA today releases new footage filmed in March 2026 at a duck farm in Wallonia, exposing the cruel reality of force-feeding for foie gras production. Each year, nearly 25,000 ducks are still force-fed on the seven farms currently operating in Wallonia.

The footage, filmed at a farm that nonetheless presents itself as “animal-friendly” (Ferme de la Sauvenière, Florennes), reveals cruel living conditions. Nearly 400 ducks are kept in cramped cages, on slatted floors, inside a shed with no outdoor access and most of the time in darkness. Dead ducks lie in cages alongside others that are still loving, some of them injured. During force-feeding, the animals are handled brutally.

Back in 2021, GAIA had already released shocking footage filmed in this same facility, among others. Following that revelation, no measures were taken to put an end to the practices exposed: the authorities merely carried out an after-the-fact inspection, once again demonstrating the ineffectiveness of the system.

A force-feeding training course - backed by the Minister for Animal Welfare - that raises serious concerns

Even more troubling is the fact that Wallonia is not merely maintaining this production: it is actively helping to develop it. GAIA condemns the organisation of an official course aimed at training force-feeders and strengthening the foie gras sector, with the support of Minister for Animal Welfare Adrien Dolimont (MR). In his press release entitled Strategy for Animal Welfare, published in July 2025, the minister stated:

“Finally, in order to support Wallonia’s foie gras sector, which meets strong local demand while contributing to rural vitality, a new training course supervised by SOCOPRO will be organised in the first quarter of 2026. It will enable farmers to carry out assisted feeding in compliance with Belgian legislation and animal welfare, ensuring practices consistent with the animals’ anatomy and physiology, as part of a process of continuous improvement.”

This training course, organised in early April by the Collège des Producteurs and approved by the Walloon Region, was held on the very farm where the footage released by GAIA was filmed. The remarks made there reflect the normalisation of the animal suffering inherent in force-feeding. Some speakers even advised participants on how to play down, in the eyes of consumers, the impact of this practice on animal welfare. One speaker also stated that “nothing prevents you from slaughtering an animal,” while another joked about the fact that the dislocation of the spine is not being carried out by a veterinarian, even though this is a legal requirement, and adding that another trainer “reads the regulations too much.”

“Training force-feeders in 2026 with the support of the authorities, while this practice is banned elsewhere in Belgium and in most European countries, is simply unacceptable. Telling participants how to avoid inspections and ignore animal welfare legislation is outrageous. Instead of fighting animal cruelty, the Walloon Minister for Animal Welfare is organising it.” — Michel Vandenbosch, GAIA's president

Foie gras: the product of disease

Foie gras is produced by forcing animals to ingest large quantities of maize mash until it causes a liver disease known as hepatic steatosis. The animals become unable to eliminate the fat that accumulates in their liver. They have difficulty moving and suffer from breathing problems. The liver can grow to up to ten times its normal size. Ducks are force-fed for 12 to 14 days. During this period, mortality is 10 to 20 times higher than on farms where no force-feeding takes place.

A practice banned in Flanders, Brussels and the vast majority of European countries

Apart from producing countries, all European Union member states either explicitly ban force-feeding or interpret their animal protection laws as effectively prohibiting the practice. Only five EU countries still produce foie gras: France, Spain, Bulgaria, Hungary and, in Belgium, Wallonia.

Force-feeding is also banned in Switzerland, Norway and Argentina. In India, the sale of foie gras is prohibited. In the United States, sales bans have also been adopted, notably in California and New York.

In Belgium, the Brussels-Capital Region banned force-feeding in 2017, followed by Flanders in 2018. Wallonia is now the only region in the country where the practice is still allowed.

A clear call to the Walloon Government

In light of these findings, GAIA is calling on the Walloon Government to ban force-feeding, end all public support for the foie gras sector, and bring Wallonia into line with the other Belgian regions and with the majority of European countries.

Lastly, GAIA points out that public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of a ban: according to an Ipsos poll commissioned by GAIA in 2024, 80% of people in Wallonia support banning force-feeding for foie gras production.