Unfortunately, the previously animal-friendly hunger-relief charity Oxfam International now appears to believe that there is money to be made in animal exploitation. Oxfam has started following in the footsteps of the animal-abusing organization Heifer International, exploiting people's compassion and generosity by sending them gift catalogs depicting cute chickens, cows, and goats who can be "donated" to impoverished people. What these fundraising schemes don't tell you is that they actually make poverty worse and cause many animals to suffer.
What's wrong with animal donation programs?
- They worsen global hunger.
- The animals are often not wanted by the recipients.
- Donated animals often suffer.
Animal donation programs worsen global hunger. They force impoverished people to funnel resources (like grain and water) through animals to produce much less nourishment than they'd have if they just ate the grain and drank the water directly. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of animal flesh!
In addition, animals who are left to graze often eat all the vegetation in the surrounding area, which causes more water run-off and leads to drought, leading the environmental group World Land Trust to call these programs "environmentally unsound and economically disastrous."
Donated animals are not always wanted. A recent exposé into animal donation programs by an editor of one of India's largest newspapers quoted numerous angry poor people who had animals thrust upon them and then desperately struggled to take care of both their families and the animals.
The Nation writes that if you ask a poor farmer about animals donated to people in his town by one of these charities, "the farmer would say that people are desperate to return animals that are eating more than their families. Cows cost between 120 and 150 rupees a day in feed, more than twice the minimum wage."
Donated animals often suffer greatly. Very few of the nations in which citizens receive these animals have any meaningful animal welfare laws. According to numerous reports from animal welfare experts, animals donated to poor people often suffer from horrible neglect, including lack of proper veterinary care, adequate or clean shelter, and sufficient food or water. Those who survive these conditions are often killed in horrific ways, such as by having their throats slit with a dull knife—or worse.
Help the Poor Without Hurting Animals
Donate only to anti-poverty charities that make an effective, sustainable difference for poor people and that don't exploit animals. Two great examples are Food for Life and The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.
Also, please use the form below to send an e-mail to Oxfam officials politely asking them to stop following Heifer International's lead and to end their animal donation programs now!
