Sadly it seems that too many debates surrounding food ethics are dominated by the shrill voices of nut jobs on the fringes. Sure, important issues and difficult problems engender strong opinions and passionate argument—but shouts, insults, and even threats are unlikely to help anyone find solutions.
Thank heavens then for people like Mark Pastore, the owner of San Francisco’s Incanto restaurant. He has published an open letter on the topic of food sustainability in general and foie gras in particular that is both eloquent and mature. You may not agree with his point of view—a fact he openly acknowledges—but his firm repudiation of the scare tactics being used by some extremist campaigners is much harder to find fault with.
Thanks to the Noe Valley, SF blog for bringing Pastore’s letter to our attention.
Pastore: “Our (naïve) hope is that someday our country will have a constructive dialogue about food, in a calm adult voice and considering our food systems in their full context.”
never gonna happen, it’s the new puritanism. some will only be happy with Soylent Brown (the non-people variety – it says so on the bin bag).
how far were some members cruciferous veggies shipped today?
the real argument is against thoughtless waste. if something is used carefully and with respect regarding its value it hasn’t been wasted.
I admit there are alternatives to many easy choices.
It’s always upsetting to see articles like this, where a person tries to justify their bad practices. This is indicative of some people’s inclination to hide their heads in the sand and pretend all is right with the world. If we all were weak of character and had this avoidance mentality, the world would be a sad place indeed. I’ve read the article on Incanto’s site. It is along these same lines…an attempt at rationalizing the use of a product that the majority of the public have rightly found to be cruelly produced. I should think that, with all the great things to eat and enjoy in this world, the cruelly produced ones, like foie gras, could be done away with and never be missed for a moment.
Oh, comment guy – your preconceptions have clearly not allowed any of the facts – facts! – presented in this article to penetrate your consciousness. This is a brilliantly presented, clearly reasoned expose of the ignorant anti-foie gras scare-mongering all too prevalent in politically correct circles today.
“The majority of the public” have no clue whatsoever about the reality of foie gras production, they simply believe the lies put out by PETA and its ilk, because these lies are screamed so loudly. And, as the article points out, the majority of the public have no interest in ever eating foie gras anyway, so they’re perfectly happy to go along with this since it doesn’t affect them personally. and thus costs them nothing.
Having satisfied myself that the claims of cruelty regarding foie gras production are specious, I tend to order foie gras whenever I see it on a menu. Also I would work to resist any attempts to ban its production or sale, because I think the greater social good is to prevent dishonest extremists from dictating public policy.
I don’t think the majority has ruled it cruel.Like he said a small vocal group have decided that their non scientific facts are better than the stated scientific ones. I come from a family where the animals are treated better than we treat each other and even I understand that using an animal for food is a totally different issue than using it for fashion..Mark Pastore really hit the nail on the head.Its ok to feel like you dont want to eat animals. Its ok to not eat animals.Make those personal choices for you and your family.But when someone tells me what I cant eat its gone to far. Plus there are much more important battles to deal with. I would gladly give up my portion of Fois Gras to some abused kid who has a parent that cant feed them properly. Let people eat what they want and pick better battles. 3.3 million kids versus some ducks and geese. You choose.
i don’t know who to believe because i think lies are coming from both sides
the ones who don’t like it on the cruelty side
the ones who do like it on the non cruetly side
but i truly wonder about the non cruelty side and if it really MAY BE cruel but they don’t care as long as they get what they want
I am inclined to believe the account in the article: the description of how it is different for a bird and why, the vet’s account of it not being stressful, have convinced me that the cruelty of this type of feeding is vastly overblown by the PETA types. I am well aware of most people’s tendency to anthropomorphize and otherwise identify when it is not appropriate.
I am one of the few who do eat foie gras occasionally. It tastes spectacular when done well. I would miss it far more than if, say, we were being forced to give up eggs….. is eating eggs less cruel?
foodperv – The anatomy of a duck is a fact. It exists independently of whether or not I like foie gras. What I want is for people who make public policy to have some respect for facts. This goes way beyond the issue of foie gras.
rcianci — The anatomy is a fact. I think it makes sense that feeding them that way doesn’t hurt, they can breathe during it so it isn’t stressful that way (as it would be for us). But what is not a fact is whether or not they are uncomfortable after being overfed and how uncomfortable and, well, how much does it matter? I don’t think we can really know how they feel about it.
You can say they demonstrate how they feel about it by pulling away when you try to do it, or not. But if you have tried to brush the teeth of various small children, you know that some pull away and some don’t and you know you aren’t hurting them because you know how brushing your teeth feels….
On the other hand, there are plenty of people who don’t give a bleep about how I feel either, and I am far more sensitive than a duck or goose. People are willfully destroying our economy and our ability to make a good middle class living — I consider them to be far far more cruel.
as far as breathing they have tiny nostril holes on the top of their bills right. as far as their comfort level after being overfed ,well we go to all you can eat buffets and eat till we feel like puking so that is not such a big deal right i would like to pose a ? here
what if obtaining Foie Gras WAS done somehow as the cruelest way in the world …….. would any one here stop eating it
Well, having just found out how they prepare softshell crab, I have resolved never to try that. (they cut it up live.)
but, I don’t know. Foie gras is one of the best tasting things there is. One doesn’t eat it often. I don’t know.
I think those “tiny nostril holes” are where they always breathe. Humans are the only animals that breathe the way we do: that’s why only we can talk well — you have to have voluntary control over your breathing to speak. No other animal, as far as I know, has the throat and breathing tube that share an entrance. It’s a specialization. (no, when dogs pant, they are not breathing through their mouth.) I got this info from Steven Pinker’s books, I think “The Language” Instinct in particular.