Sending animals to fragile, arid climates is bad for the animals and the
people they are supposed to help.
It has become the feel-good gift of the season. Church groups and families pool their donations to send food animals to impoverished parts of the world.
Through Heifer International, $500 will provide a family with a dairy cow or $120 will purchase a dairy goat. Never mind that in most parts of the world where these animals are sent, between 50 and 95 percent of the population can’t drink milk due to lactose intolerance--reflecting what many have noted is an extreme Caucasian bias of this charity.
Critics of Heifer International and other animal-gifting organizations are worried about the trend toward exporting western agriculture to developing countries. Animals are expensive; they require food, copious amounts of water, and veterinary care. Domesticated food animals take a toll on fragile, arid environments. The World Land Trust referred to these projects as “environmentally unsound and economically disastrous.”
Animal agriculture is not the answer to problems of poverty and hunger. In developing countries, as population groups being lifted out of poverty begin to adopt western lifestyle, rates of obesity and even diabetes are on the rise. According to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, rates of obesity among those in the developing world have tripled in the past 20 years.
Ratings of Heifer’s effectiveness have slipped in response to the amount of money spent on glossy brochures and other fundraising endeavors. In 2008 the group spent 18 million dollars on fundraising—16 percent of the budget—and left 17 million dollars unspent on any programs at the end of the year. Charity rating group Givewell gave Heifer International zero out of a possible three stars since the organization met none of its criteria for accountability or project priorities.
Finally, and certainly not the least of any ethical gift giver’s concerns, Heifer International promotes cruelty to animals. They are often sent to countries where welfare standards are nonexistent and where domesticated animals can suffer greatly in an environment that can't support their well-being.
Fortunately, there are other organizations that work to promote food sufficiency among the world’s poor without exploiting animals or the environment. Check this space tomorrow for information about charities that bring an ethical perspective to hunger relief.
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Comments
Interesting article. I was thinking of giving to Heifer International this year but am now going to re-think it. The gray area of giving a truly culturally/environmentally appropriate gift is large and hard to navigate. I'll check out your article tomorrow to see what you suggest. Thanks!
Thanks for bringing this to light. I am furious when I get solicitations from this organization, and have told them that I don't agree with their mission, but they must not read their mail. I noticed this year they are using "celebrities" to promote their message. More people obviously duped!
Heifer International is a slave-trading organization. They treat other animals as commodities to be bought, sold, and killed by humans. They are dealers of suffering and death on a masssive scale, disguised as humanitarianism. Please don't give Heifer Interntional even one penny!
If you know information on Heifer International other than what you have read above you would not be saying such things. Heifer International does amazing work, raising money to purchase animals within the communities local area. The animals are already adapted to the environment, they teach the families how to properly care for the animals--and more than anything the families treasure the animals! They see them as one of the greatest gifts, and had to apply to receive the animals. I have supported them for years and have seen firsthand the amazing work they have done around the world.
although i have thought of becoming a vegetarion, i do realize the idiocy of forcing th idea upon others. also, the buying and selling of animals is a day to day occurance that hurts on one. what proof do you have that they are treated cruely? what proof do you have that the "killing" you speak of is no more than just what is natural in the cycle of life? one animal kills another so that they can survive and the cycle of energy continues. are you so insane to believe the life of a chicken is vauled above the life of a human, like yourself? oh and by the way, I just bought a sheep for Heifer to "kill". I am saving a family's life. Suck on that!
In response to Danielle (Women's Issues Examiner):
If you are looking for a fantastic organization to give a gift to this season, one which truly helps and empowers people, please consider going to www.kiva.org
A quick blurb from the "About" section of Kiva's website explains, "Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on Kiva, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan [...], you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else."
please tell Oprah about this, this is her newest thing she is seling.
Heifer International is, in my opinion, malpractice per se. Most everyone is now aware of the connection between animal agribusiness and climate change -- and climate disruptions exacerbate the tragedy of world hunger.
Fantastic article! Thank you!!
Great article, Virginia. When I first started receiving Heifer's solicitations years ago, I thought the mission was great, and may have even sent money for some chicks. After the first year or so, though, I just couldn't stomach the idea of sending these innocents off to parts unknown, for care that may be substandard due to extreme poverty. Your article even more things to be concerned about. Thank you for this information.
Why is the Heifer International advertisement on this website?
Lori, this issue of advertising is a real problem for vegan online columns. I think that the advertisements are automatically generated due to key words in the article. So when I talked about Heifer, this ad landed on the page. Sometimes examiner lists other articles that they think might be "of interest" to readers, and I think these are automatically generated as well--so the articles are often about meat. Unfortunately, the examiners have no control over what ads appear on the page.
I too have questioned the wisdom of pairing poverty-stricken families with animals that require a significant outlay in food, water, and veterinary care. This article gives me even more points to bring up the next time someone solicits me on behalf of Heifer, Int'l.
It's probably important to keep in mind why the charity has become so popular - folks view it as giving a hand up, rather than a hand out to people in need. So, when suggesting they choose a different charity to support, we might want to look for organizations that have a similar "self-empowerment" approach, minus the use of animals.
This is a poor article with no sources, the obesity paragraph is not shown to relate to the point of the article, and starving people aren't quite as concerned with the welfare of animals as with their children's health and well-being. Not a well reasoned argument at all.
Wil, no one is suggesting that starving people should care more about the welfare of animals than their own children. The point is that we can help the world's poor without exploiting animals. And that there may be some advantages to an approach that doesn't depend on animal foods for all.
If you're going to talk about ethics and charity, at least don't use GiveWell as a source!
If you're going to talk about ethics and charity, at least don't use GiveWell as a source!
After reading this I realized I should donate even more to heifer.org because some people will believe nonsense like this.
this article is absoluely ridiculous. I am a vegetarian and activist in animal rights. but this article denounces veganism and vegetarinism. all the above arguements are actually incorrect and i am very dissapointed to see so many people actually take this information seriously without critically thinking about the arguements and doing some research for themselvs. Get a brain people
Not impressed - How does this article denounce veganism and vegetarianism? How are the arguments incorrect? You can't just say things. You need to back them up, as Virginia Messina has done, with those pesky little things otherwise known as facts.
Excellent article. Sending animals to places that are already suffering from desertification is simply ridiculous. In many countries in Africa and Southeast Asia, water is rationed, and a water truck delivers a certain amount to various homes each day. This is what I witnessed in India. The shipping of animals causes tremendous stress on them, and many do not survive. There are better ways to help people in struggling countries. I donate to Food for Life Global.
You say above that she backed them up with "pesky little things otherwise known as facts" but failed to cite her sources in any way that they can be verified. Much like all the criticisms of Heifer International I have found. Facts mean nothing if you can't back them up, half of these statistics were probably just made up for all you know.
If you, and many of the other commenters on this article, could actually see a family who was lifted out of starvation and poverty, then you might change your mind. Giving these people a basket of vegetables is NOT sustainable. All the arguments against Heifer are crazy. If you're against animals being traded then just say that, but don't try to act like it is worse for the people who benefit from it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCVaGzDKuI0 Try watching this video about Yaks brought from Heifer to Tibet.
I do think that giving western animals to different countries of the world is a bad idea because of things like desertification and the fact that some of these animals like goats or rabbits can having truly damaging effects on the environments if they get loose. Also as mentioned many people especially non-Western people tend to be lactose intolerent. That's why if I was giving to Heifer International I would buy a camel for people in Africa, or a yak for people in Tibet or an alpaca or a llama for people in South America or a water buffalo for people in the Phillipines. From what I've researched Heifer International is doing a good job of helping people but I do feel that some animals are in the long run a possible hazard when sent to certain areas. Also I'm not a vegetarian, I believe in treating animals well but I believe that there is nothing wrong with eating meat. Our bodies evolved to eat meat. I believe in well balanced diets, I even believe that researching the diets that your ancestors consumed is the best for you since your body is the most adapted to eating that diet. It's a belief that many American Indians hold. The truth is no matter what, plant or animal you are going to have to eat something that was once living. That is how life is, you must eat life to live. I'd like to have that animal or plant to have the best life that it can while it is living. But I see nothing wrong with giving animals to people for them to eat.
Virginia, Heifer does NOT ship animals from the West to the communities across the world in need. The communities go to local Heifer sites and apply to receive animals. After the village has been evaluated as to whether they can care for the animals, they then teach them how to, and purchase animals from the local area to supply them. This allows their local economy grow and the animals are already adapted to the environment, no matter how harsh it might be. For you to not research the topic is somewhat sad given that you are concerned with organizations that benefit society. Heifer International is an extremely beneficial and amazing non-profit, not only do the animals get good care, they use the manure to help fuel bio-gas as well as supply them with the necessities of life. Many communities have been lifted out of extreme poverty because of the inspiring work that they do. It would help to do more research before misinforming readers.
This article seems to advocate for withholding animals from poor, needy families who will truly benefit from the gift of an animal because of the potential environmental impact of keeping a goat in Africa.
Meanwhile, we can all continue to live our comfy lives, eat imported food, drive cars, pollute the environment, etc., etc. But if an African family gets a goat, then we will really be headed for environmental disaster. (!?)
Believe me, I care about the environment. But the people who should making sacrifices for the sake of the environment are those of US who are CAUSING the bulk of environmental destruction, while living comfortably in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
You should make significant changes in YOUR own life and pressure YOUR government to make big changes that will really impact environment. And at the same time, give some poor family a goat, so they can maybe partake in 1/1,000th of the comfort you get to experience every single day.
Have some consideration for the poor, and fight the war to save the environment on your own turf first, for goodness sakes. Give a goat!
So, a vegan against giving animals. What a shock.
And GiveWell? It recommends a grand total of eight (yes, 8) charities. Really, it actually recommends two, but it's OK with another six.
How many people who say this is cruel and inhuman treatment of animals get abortions and murder unborn people? Or support the murder of unborn people? Many animals activist are pro abortion. Life begins at conception.
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