
Austria has seen a sharp rise in imports of St. Martin’s geese, with figures reaching 1,774 tonnes last year, up from 1,370 tonnes in 2022, according to the animal welfare group Vier Pfoten.
The goose meat is coming from Hungary and Poland, where cruel practices like force-feeding and live plucking of geese are still used. Both methods have long been banned in Austria because of their cruelty.
Much of the imported meat ends up in restaurants, prompting Vier Pfoten to renew its calls for mandatory labelling of the origin and rearing methods in the food service industry.
Geese from Hungary and Poland are much cheaper than those raised in Austria. Campaign director Veronika Weissenböck said, “Unfortunately, with this ‘bargain-hunter’ mentality, it’s the animals who are the biggest losers – along with the consumers, who end up eating meat from abused animals.”
She also criticised the lack of transparency in restaurants. “It’s deeply unfair to consumers that restaurants aren’t required to disclose where the geese come from or how they were reared,” she added.
Vier Pfoten is urging people to choose Austrian free-range or organic geese if they plan to enjoy St. Martin’s goose. Austrian farming standards are much stricter than in the rest of the EU. The group also advises diners to be persistent when eating out, urging them to “always ask questions” about where the meat on the menu comes from.