Overview
- Voters approved Initiative 86 on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, giving the District a local ban that targets the production and sale of foie gras.
- The ordinance specifically forbids gavage, the force‑feeding process used to enlarge duck and goose livers, and prohibits sale, import and distribution of products made that way.
- Campaign records show Pro‑Animal DC/Pro‑Animal Future spent roughly $400,000–$470,000 to put the measure on the ballot and submitted a record 46,020 signatures to qualify it.
- Opponents include major suppliers and several prominent chefs and restaurants; Hudson Valley Foie Gras has said it is consulting lawyers about a likely lawsuit and restaurateurs have warned of economic effects.
- Legal fights will shape enforcement because similar local bans in New York City, California, Portland and Pittsburgh have faced litigation that delayed or limited implementation, so courts and D.C. officials will decide timing and scope of the ban's impact.