52 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 53 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
General News    H4'ed 10/30/17

Despite Its Celebrity Backers, This Charity Does More Harm Than Good

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   8 comments, In Series: We are eating WHAT?
Message Martha Rosenberg
Become a Fan
  (84 fans)

Every year during the holiday season, Americans receive a marketing catalogue in the mail from Heifer International, a religiously based Arkansas live animal charity. Decorated with photos of cute animals and cute poor children who will eagerly receive them, it seems an appealing charity. What's not to like? Last year its materials even put animals in Christmas sweaters.

Live Animal Donations Expose Recipients to Disease and Other Problems
Live Animal Donations Expose Recipients to Disease and Other Problems
(Image by Martha Rosenberg)
  Details   DMCA

Many public figures and leaders have supported Heifer International including Sheryl Crow, Ashley Judd, Barbara Bush, Ben Cohen, singer Bonnie Raitt, Diane Lane, Ed Asner, Ellen DeGeneres, Mia Farrow, Martha Stewart, George Bush Sr, Goldie Hawn, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Meryl Streep, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Stephen King and Susan Sarandon.

But there's a lot not to like about Heifer International and other live animal charities. While the animals hugged in photos by the "grateful" children are made to look like pets, they present very real non-pet problems. Ask anyone who raises livestock for a living about the cost of diseases, food, housing, biosecurity and veterinary care and you'll see livestock is no gift at all. Supplying live animals to poor people is especially outrageous in light of the tremendous outbreaks of swine flu and bird flu which have sickened thousands across the world in the past years. In the U.S. the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus decimated a tenth of all pigs! (You did not hear of it because Big Meat largely kept the toll hidden.)

"Are there systems in place to teach people to care for their new animals?" asks the Verge about a Heifer donation to Bolivia. "Who determines who gets a chicken and who doesn't, and will that distribution foster ill will? How would introducing livestock to a community or region impact existing economies? And, most importantly, do the recipients even want the gift?"

Addressing the paradox of poor people with minimal food and shelter caring for animals requiring food and shelter, one Heifer International communication actually says the poor should "buy" food and supplies. Right.

Visitors to villages that have received Heifer International "gifts" tell a different story. They have reported whole flocks of birds that died from diseases and children sleeping with their animal "gifts" so they are not stolen. Thanks, Heifer. One mother whose son visited a demonstration Heifer International village in the U.S. says her son was traumatized for years by hearing and watching a rabbit unceremoniously slaughtered in front of children by the Heifer International leader.

Heifer International's Egregious Track Record

In Chicago, Heifer International has attempted to set up aquaculture operations to pull poor ghetto kids out of "poverty" twice. Both times all the fish ended up dying. Heifer had hoped the tilapia--a fish bought for pennies and capable of growing to two feet---would provide nice meals for housing project dwellers. Additionally, the project would provide young people, "job readiness skills and learning to become stewards of the natural environment and their community," while also providing an income from sales to local restaurants said Heifer.

The "natural environment" Heifer setup----fish squeezed into 55 gallon containers----could even be extended to Chicago 70,000 vacant lots and start including sheep, goats and cows said Heifer.

In 1999 all the fish froze to death when the heat and power were cut to the building, some say deliberately. And in 2001 the fish died of heat when power went off during a storm, some leaping "out of their barrels trying to escape accumulating ammonia and rising temperatures," according to the Chicago Tribune. Not one fish was sold to a restaurant.

How will people in poor countries keep their animal "gifts" from dying when even poor people in Chicago can't, Heifer International?

The "Gift" of Dairy Operations For Lactose Intolerant People

Expecting poor people to have the money, resources, knowhow and desire to raise livestock is only half Heifer's disingenuousness. Many Asian, African and indigenous people are also lactose intolerant making dairy foods inappropriate and even ridiculous. That didn't stop the Gates Foundation from giving Heifer International millions to set up dairy enterprises in rural African villages in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda replete with "chilling plants" and "refrigerated commercial dairy delivery trucks."

Nor are cheese, bacon and eggs even the solution to world hunger! According to the World Food Program, hunger comes from climate change, poverty, unstable markets, war and displacement--not lack of animal and processed protein. In fact, its High Energy Biscuits provide up to 15 grams of protein from grain.

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Must Read 3   Supported 3   Valuable 2  
Rate It | View Ratings

Martha Rosenberg Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Martha Rosenberg is an award-winning investigative public health reporter who covers the food, drug and gun industries. Her first book, Born With A Junk Food Deficiency: How Flaks, Quacks and Hacks Pimp The Public Health, is distributed by Random (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Grassley Investigates Lilly/WebMD link Reported by Washington Post

The Drug Store in Your Tap Water

It's the Cymbalta Stupid

Are You Sure You're Not Psychotic Asks Shameless Drug Company?

Another Poorly Regulated "Derivative"--the Antidepressant Pristiq

MRSA and More. Antibiotics Linked to Obesity and Allergies, Too

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend