D.C. voters on Tuesday approved Initiative 86, the ballot measure banning restaurants from selling foie gras, an extra-fatty liver delicacy made by force-feeding ducks and geese.
If implemented, D.C. restaurants that serve foie gras could be fined up to $5,000 per violation and risk having their business licenses suspended or revoked starting next July. D.C. will join California, New York City, Pittsburgh and other U.S. jurisdictions that have banned the luxury product.
As of 11 p.m. Nov 3. about 73% had voted in favor of the initiative, according to results from the Board of Elections.
“Tonight D.C. decided that force-feeding a bird has no place here,” said Cady Witt, campaign director of Pro-Animal D.C., the group behind the initiative. “Thank you to every voter who said yes, and to everyone who worked to put this question in front of them.”
Pro-Animal D.C. volunteers celebrated their victory at Solly’s on Tuesday night alongside Oye Owolewa, a supporter of the cause who also won his election for an at-large seat on the council. The packed watch party was decked out in golden plastic ducks, puzzles of ducks, and even a real live duck being wheeled around in a stroller.
The duck, named Olivia, is the initiative’s unofficial mascot and was the first to take to the stage to “announce” the initiative’s victory via several loud quacks into the mic.
According to Pro-Animal D.C., approximately 50 local restaurants have the French specialty on their menus, including at some of D.C.’s most popular restaurants such as Lutèce, Mallard, The Occidental and Pastis DC. Notably, Andrés’ newest D.C. restaurant, The Bazaar, serves cotton-candy foie gras as one of its signature dishes. The group is the local branch of a Colorado-based animal welfare group that has pushed similar initiatives in Denver and Portland.
“It feels really great that the voters stood with us,” Pro-Animal D.C. media lead Natalie Fulton told City Cast DC. “73% is higher than we expected and we’re so happy that people want to protect animals.”
Olivia the duck “announces” Initiative 86’s victory. (Kaela Cote-Stemmermann)
Ballot initiatives must gather a certain number of signatures to secure a place on the ballot. I-86 amassed more signatures from D.C. residents than any other initiative in D.C. history. But in the weeks leading up to the election, last-minute pushback from celebrity chef José Andrés and Butterworth’s chef Bart Hutchins brought the all-but-approved bill back into the spotlight.
Hutchins organized a four-course foie gras tasting menu as a “send off” for the luxury pate. Andrés claimed the ban only adds more challenges to an already struggling restaurant industry. Meanwhile, the whole debate became one of D.C.’s hottest Halloween costumes of the year.
Hutchins told City Cast DC it is unlikely that removing foie gras from the menu will significantly affect these restaurants’ bottom lines, but does worry that it could have consequences for its producers.
“Will it put us out of business? No. If I can’t sell foie gras, I’ll just sell something else and we’ll be totally fine,” said Hutchins. “The real economic problem is that there’s only two commercial farmers of foie in the entire country and D.C. is their third largest market … I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them went under.”
Hudson Valley Foie Gras, one of the country’s two major producers, has already said it is preparing to fight I-86 in court. The company argues that D.C. can’t legally prohibit the sale of foie gras in D.C. when it is not even produced here. Hudson Valley and fellow producer La Belle Farm are also currently fighting a similar ban in New York City, which has led to its roll out being delayed.
While the initiative has been passed, it’s unclear if it will be implemented by next year. D.C.’s chief financial officer estimates the ban will cost $314,000 to implement, according to Axios, which will go toward enforcement, oversight and the hiring of an inspector. It is still unclear where that money will be allocated from.
“The next steps is to celebrate for maybe a day, then we are going to make sure D.C. Council allocates the funds, and then that enforcement goes well, which is going to start July 1,” Fulton told City Cast DC. “We’re going to make sure this goes through and becomes law.”
Dining and Cooking