Narrator: High-end foie gras, or fattened goose liver,
is a costly and controversial fine-dining staple.
And this foie gras is six times as expensive.
Here in Extremadura, Spain,
Eduardo Sousa is one of the few people in the world
making what his supporters call "ethical foie gras."
Narrator: Many consider foie gras to be unethical
because it's typically made by force-feeding ducks or geese
to fatten their livers.
Eduardo does things differently,
and it makes his product incredibly pricey.
A 180-gram jar costs over $200.
But what exactly makes this foie gras ethical?
And why is it so expensive?
Narrator: When the weather turns cold
and the bird-migration season begins,
wild geese join the tamed geese on Eduardo's farm.
Here, the geese feast upon grass, acorns, olives,
figs, and different seeds.
Narrator: Instead of force-feeding the birds,
Eduardo simply relies on the geese's natural behaviors.
There are no fences here.
The geese are free to come and go as they please.
Eduardo says the geese eat more grass
when they're free to roam.
He says this is essential because the grass
apparently makes the acorns taste sweeter to the geese.
And the more acorns the geese eat,
the tastier and yellower their livers will be.
While Eduardo prefers to let the geese eat what they want,
he does provide them with organic corn
to make their livers more yellow.
Narrator: During this time of year,
geese stuff themselves full of food
to prepare for their winter migration.
This quickly builds fat and enlarges their livers,
the perfect conditions for creating foie gras.
When it's time for the slaughter,
Eduardo uses a traditional technique to stun the geese:
hypnosis.
He says this makes the process as painless as possible.
It happens only once a year,
during the coldest part of winter,
when the geese have the most fat.
It also has to be a moonless night.
Narrator: Eduardo's foie gras is so highly sought after
because of how flavorful it is.
To preserve its unique flavor profile,
Eduardo prepares his foie gras very simply.
Narrator: So despite the high demand,
Eduardo won't make more than 2,000 batches a year.
He says he's committed to maintaining
the wild-geese population
and heavily discourages overconsumption,
unlike most foie-gras producers.
Narrator: In recent years, climate change has pushed back
the farm's traditional foie-gras-making timeline.
Narrator: Regardless of when it's made, Eduardo's foie gras,
or natural foie gras, as he calls it,
has an extremely long waiting list every year.
There was limited demand for Eduardo's foie gras until 2006,
when he and his team won the coveted Coup de Cœur award
at the SIAL food expo in Paris.
Narrator: Despite challenges and criticism
from other foie-gras producers,
Eduardo's product has only continued to become more popular.
Narrator: La Patería de Sousa's natural foie gras
costs 199 euros and sells out every year.
Narrator: Despite the hefty price tag, Eduardo says
he doesn't see much of a profit from his foie gras.
Geese require more land than other livestock.
Most people in his area prefer to raise Iberian pigs,
which are very profitable.
Narrator: But it wasn't Eduardo's family
who invented the natural-foie-gras tradition.