Purdy lil Heifer

Posted by JMG (Guest Contributor) at 10:55 PM on 03 Jun 2008

Read more about: agriculture | e-waste | websites | environmental justice

Heifer International, a nonprofit that lets people make gifts of livestock to farmers in impoverished areas, gave a shout out to Grist in its March/April WorldArk magazine (albeit using .com in the web address).

Now, in the May/June issue, not only does Grist get a shout out with a correction in the letters column, but the whole issue is outstanding.

Here's just a sample of the terrific content:

The cover story, Our Carbon Hoofprint, provides "a closer look at the indictment of the livestock industry." Because Heifer uses livestock for small farmers to address poverty, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization study "Livestock's Long Shadow" presented a serious challenge to the organization -- the finding that livestock is responsible for 20 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions probably created quite a stir in the organization.

The next article, "From the Farm to Your Table," is a discussion of food miles.

The first article in the issue is an extended excerpt from the United Nations report "Water for Life Decade." Excellent introduction to the challenges of providing clean water in a world of growing population and rampant industrialization.

A small article in the front of the magazine suggests "Send Old Electronics to the Boneyard," with a description that should be irresistible to most readers here:

It's part of the modern dilemma: what do you do with that old cell phone or outdated computer? Instead of throwing them into the trash, send them to MyBoneyard.com. They are licensed electronics recycler and guarantee to strip and permanently delete all personal information from your recycled product. It couldn't be easier. Just register each product on their site and print a prepaid shipping label -- they pay the shipping -- for each item, then pack it up and send it off. When they receive your device, they inspect it and will even pay you for the device. The reward amount is added to a Visa debit card and sent to you.

For story: Purdy lil Heifer
41 Comments | Post a Comment

oooh JMG ...

Heifer Project International is the subject of great controversy among us in the animal-welfare crowd; e.g., from a few years ago:

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/actionline/fall-2005/heif ....

There have been advisories against Heifer in Best Friends magazine, and on the HSUS website, though these are apparently not permanently posted.

Issues that have been raised include:

there is no guarantee that the recipients of the animals will treat them humanely;
prior to that, it is not certain that the animals to be donated will have been raised in humane circumstances;
it is not certain that promoting an animal-based economy is in the long-term best interests of the people in developing countries to whom the animals are given.

My husband, the son of Missouri farmers, likes Heifer International a great deal, and has given gift cards (following upon donations) frequently in the past few years.

I for my part am keeping them at arm's length.

By the way, I am sure you are right to suggest that an article on recycling old cell phones and computers will interest more Gristmill readers than will articles on animal welfare. But may I comment, sadly, that that need not be so.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 2:44 AM on 04 Jun 2008

I second that

Agreed, Heifer is a super organization, and very hip to sustainable agricultural practices.

Good to see them taking on the livestock question.

As for the humane issue, that's something that could be improved on with ease, seems to me, if it's a problem. What can't be improved on is their mission and model which has done more to raise people out of abject poverty in 80+ countries than any other group I know of.

Erik

The Orion Grassroots Network: supporting grassroots groups working for conservation, justice, & more

by Erik Hoffner at 5:33 AM on 04 Jun 2008

Lipstick On A Pig (Or Cow)

This group should disband and start over. The idea of sustainable method of raising livestock is nothing short of ludicrous. Animal husbandry, especially raising livestock, contributes far more to other serious ecological problems than it does to global warming, which is merely a minor reason to end this industry. Sorry, but there's no way for a person whose first priority is protection and restoration of the natural environment to support a group like this.

by Wolverine at 2:35 PM on 04 Jun 2008

hey

Hey look at that, you and Canis agree on something.

But this? "Sorry, but there's no way for a person whose first priority is protection and restoration of the natural environment to support a group like this."

How is a single cow owned by a (usually destitute) family a threat to restoration? It's poverty that is the main enemy of such values everywhere in the world. It's why entire forests are cut for firewood and charcoal, it's why marginal land is put into production when it shouldn't be. We're not talking about the 'livestock industry' here - it's about survival first of all, dignity, and a shot at another kind of life. For eg, the milk from a single cow in Africa is enough to ensure healthy development of a child plus enough extra milk to sell so that the child can actually attend school, which is seldom free in most countries.

Anyhow, Heifer is about a lot more than cows and pigs. They supply bees, chickens, turkeys, goats, water buffalo for plowing, vegetable seeds, advice and training and more to families, who are then obliged to share the offspring of what they grow with others in need.

It's a proven model that will continue to change lives and landscapes for the better.

Erik

The Orion Grassroots Network: supporting grassroots groups working for conservation, justice, & more

by Erik Hoffner at 3:01 PM on 04 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

The real threat

Heifer International does great work and deserves our support. As Erik says, isolated people using livestock to make a living is not a threat to the environment. Given training in restorative practices, it could even be a good thing for their local environments. The real threat the environment through animals is irresponsible grazing and - most of all - CAFOs that spew huge quantities of pollutants into the environment. It's CAFOs that need shutting down.

Eat what you grow, grow what you eat

by PermieWriter at 3:38 PM on 04 Jun 2008

"It's CAFOs that need shutting down."

If people would just stop eating........ that could cut carbon emissions in a big way!

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 11:29 AM on 05 Jun 2008

Indeed,

one wonders how people ate at all before CAFOs!

grist.org

by David Roberts at 12:16 PM on 05 Jun 2008

Indeed

There were a lot less people.

Of course, a healthy world war could kill off a couple of billion if we tried........

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 12:26 PM on 05 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

one more

One more example of how Heifer is building food security and aiding the planet: in Ghana, they have a new project providing 'grasscutters' - a popular culinary critter/protein source, like a pika - to families who can raise them for the household and also to sell, in part to offset the market for bushmeat. The poaching of wildlife for the bushmeat trade is devastating natural communities nearly as fast as logging in some areas, so it is very possible that this can take some of the pressure off.

Erik

The Orion Grassroots Network: supporting grassroots groups working for conservation, justice, & more

by Erik Hoffner at 2:49 PM on 05 Jun 2008

moral corrosion re animals

Horrible, how the NY Times has sided in with the suburban acres-owners, and the Florida Koi-farmers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/garden/05animals.html?e ....

This is a remarkably horrifying article, all the more horrifying for being so extended.

I have meditated now, on being drowned in a rain barrel, like very many of those poor squirrels, by a heartless lord of the manor.

Our wealth and comfort always come first, in this world, do they?

Cf. the brilliant 1985 move, "The Shooting Party," taking place in the Autumn of 1913, just a few months before the outbreak of World War I, the stupidest bloodiest conflict in all history. A bunch of aristocrats come together, at a lord's estate, to shoot to death as many poor frightened birds as they can.

The lord is noble, though, and he begins to see through the idiocy.

His grandson, meanwhile, has a pet duck, who gets loose and flies off on the eve of the last day of shooting ...

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 5:30 AM on 06 Jun 2008

Heifer

I think it's important to point out that Heifer is actually lessening damage to the environment & in many cases, improving it. People living in poverty have few options & because of this, will turn to practices that damage & deplete their local environment. Heifer provides alternative options & allows a community to make sustainable, healthy decisions for both their ecological & economic environments. I have seen this work in action & believe that small-scale livestock production can be done in both a holistic & sustainable way, benefiting all involved--animals, humans, & the environment. Heifer works with communities to stop, & in many cases reverse, environmental damage. Families learn to practice zero-grazing techniques (animals are kept in enclosures & taken out daily for exercise, ceasing overgrazing & erosion); indigenous plant & animal species are re-introduced; the use of pesticides & commercial fertilizers is replaced by manure, composting, vermaculture & local knowledge of healthy land practices.
As Westerners largely familiar only with the harmful U.S. land & animal management practices of the past century, it is difficult to imagine other ways that are not destructive to the environment. Animals & people are not meant to cause harm to their local biosphere & Heifer is one organization providing the knowledge & resources to make this a reality. Animals are not placed within a community before months, & in most cases at least a year, of careful consideration & training. Communities look at all aspects of their environment & how they can manage their land & animals holistically. Animals are not placed without extensive planning & training. Families are trained in animal well-being including humane care, breeding, slaughter, as well as vet care, often relying on local knowledge & resources.

Another aspect of Heifer that many people may not be aware of, is they work within the U.S. also, educating & supporting struggling small-scale farmers and local producers. The big focus for the Americas programs is on food security, ensuring that all people have equal access to healthy, local, culturally-appropriate food. You'd be surprised at what is happening right here to support & raise awareness for holistic, sustainable land & animal practices, both in rural & urban settings.

I hope you will look further!

Disclaimer: the author is an employee of Heifer International, working in the Pacific Northwest.

Ending Hunger, Saving the Earth Heifer International

by epenick at 2:14 PM on 06 Jun 2008

Is it just cows?...

...could they possibly shift over to other things, like say goats or chickens, which are less destructive and can still provide additional benefits, like milk and eggs, during their life-cycle?

by Tasermons Partner at 2:52 PM on 06 Jun 2008

yep

Heifer is about a lot more than cows. They supply grasscutters, bees, chickens, turkeys, goats, water buffalo for plowing, vegetable seeds, advice and training and more to families, who are then obliged to share the offspring of what they grow with others in need.

The Orion Grassroots Network: supporting grassroots groups working for conservation, justice, & more

by Erik Hoffner at 2:56 PM on 06 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

geographical appropriateness

I have no doubt that the Heifer people will be able to give all kinds of information explaining (superficially) their programs.

The allotments of animals most indeed are appropriate to the regional and cultural traditions of the recipients. Animals include: cows, sheep, goats, llamas, rabbits, chickens, [other poultry?; e.g. ducks?], bees.

As I said before, I am keeping them at arm's length, because of cautions against them expressed by the Humane Society of the United States, and a spokesman for Best Friends. But on the other hand, someone to whom I am very closely related likes them a whole bunch. So, I remain neutral.

People-wise, I am sure the intentions of the Heifer people are excellent. Animal-wise, I am not so sure.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 3:30 PM on 06 Jun 2008

Quibble:

Epenick's closing phrase is a disclosure, not a disclaimer. A disclaimer abjures responsibility for something: "Keep back 200 feet - not responsible for broken windshields" is a disclaimer.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

by spaceshaper at 4:15 PM on 06 Jun 2008

And by the way

re: Heifer, I share CC's opinion.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

by spaceshaper at 4:23 PM on 06 Jun 2008

Vegetarians for Heifer

Although a vegetarian myself, my discussions with people who have gone overseas and done international development work persuade me that Heifer is well worth supporting.

Bottom line is that Heifer is not spreading our model of industrial animal husbandry -- Heifer is basically practicing the kind of grass roots, community-based micro-scale income development work that has been shown to work throughout the world.

I've given to many international aid societies over the years, and my friends who have been there at the delivery end assure me that one of the consistent habits of people who "get ahead" in these countries is that they use their greater wealth to add more meat to their diets. Unlike those of us in the overfed countries, people in poverty and coping with hunger benefit greatly from access to animals that provide multiple benefits (meat, milk, fiber, fertilizer).

I've thought a lot about Canis' concerns and wondered if supporting Heifer is appropriate. In the end, I throw in with Mark Twain and say that, if Heifer is wrong according to animal cruelty standards, "All right then, I'll go to hell."

(Although no doubt well-read Canis might reply that the line I just stole is 180 degrees out of context when applied to a decision to condemn animals to slavery and eventual slaughter.)

The 5% Project

by JMG at 4:37 PM on 06 Jun 2008

oooh, that friday pm/ saturday am,

when SpaSh and I were tequila-tap-hopping: NOW he tells me I could have killed myself, that time he slammed on the breaks at the sight of that sen~orita with her boobs tied up in her purple silk shirt! The one with the pig and the pineapple! (But God, what a terrific Malaguen~a salerosa!)

As it was, my mug of margarita sloshed all over my palm-tree-and-parrot-patterned pantaloons ...

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 4:43 PM on 06 Jun 2008

I'm still not becoming a vegatarian

Since I don't like vegetables, and I do like meat!

Also, I'm just about out of compassion these days. My ol' compassion meter is pegged out. Well, at least the meat I am eating is from an animal raised in the open out here in the backwoods of Thailand. Probably had an OK life until it was killed.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 11:25 AM on 07 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

OK, MAD MAC.

Entendu.

God bless both of you. And all your friends.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 12:03 PM on 07 Jun 2008

meat emssions

There is a certain amount of double counting going in figures about what percent of emissions meat is responsible for. A lot that is fossil fuels for fertilizer, pesticides, nitrogen emissions, tractors to raise grains and soybeans to feed to animals. Some of the rest is shipping both animal feed, and animal products. So a small farmer that grass finishes cows, or goats, or llamas or whatever, and who sells them locally probably produces a lot fewer emission (even as a ratio of meat produced) than meat in our industrial system.

by Gar Lipow at 12:33 PM on 07 Jun 2008

True Gar,

but the biggest factor, globally, according to the "Livestock's Long Shadow" report is land use change, primarily deforestation for pasture. A poor African sustainably grazing a cow on existing natural grassland or letting a flock of chickens run around the village, is pretty much a carbon neutral way to obtain protein.

The big cattle producers who deforest to create pasture are the biggest emitters of GHG per cow.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 1:59 PM on 07 Jun 2008

Gar, I've been wondering about this

Every time I turn around I'll read that "industry X" is responsible for "Y" amount of emissions. The numbers most certainly would add up to something like 500%. Recently it was concrete - the production of which is responsible for 7% of global emissions. That, of course, includes the fossil fuels needed to move it to where it's used and put it in place. The fossil fuel number is, of course, counted again by someone else........... you see where that goes?

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 9:33 PM on 07 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

True bio-d

Bison grazing on natural prairie would be carbon neutral maybe. A great argument for a Prairie National Park.

Where is that link to the big list of GHG percentages? Curing the overlap confusion.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 9:46 PM on 07 Jun 2008

Winters Graph

Jeffrey Winters' brilliant graphic non-overlapping representation of greenhouse gas emission sources can be found here (h/t to the Musing Environmentalist):

http://www.quaker.org/fep/Grid_apr2007.jpg

The 5% Project

by JMG at 10:26 PM on 07 Jun 2008

Hmmm, okay, try this one

Hmm, that didn't work. OK, try this one.

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/6/5/223446/9521

The 5% Project

by JMG at 10:28 PM on 07 Jun 2008

Thanks!

That's the one I was thinking of.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 11:01 PM on 07 Jun 2008

graphs; the future

Of course, as undeniably important as measurements of carbon emissions are, there are other measurements too, perhaps not so carefully quantified and calibrated, which deserve at least as well to be considered, with at least as great a significance as to where humanity is going.

They have to do, of course, with the exploiting and killing of sentient fellow creatures, justified, if ever at all, by anthropocentric reasoning.

It may be true, as many within the Grist/Gristmill community have fiercely and defensively indicated in bitter disputes in the past, that an assertion to the effect of "You cannot be an environmentalist and eat meat" is going too far. Fine.

But, meanwhile, we might suggest:

Frequent or regular consumption of meat (including fish) is not necessary for the well-being of human beings;
Frequent or regular consumption of meat (including fish) cannot be sustainably offered to human beings, as the human population grows;
Exploitation of terrestrial vertebrates and fishes is inconsistent with a considered progressive environmentalist ideal of harmony among the Earth's living creatures;
Exploitation of terrestrial vertebrates and fishes is morally corrosive of the well-being of human societies.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 4:23 AM on 08 Jun 2008

Bison and Lions

"Bison grazing on natural prairie would be carbon neutral maybe. A great argument for a Prairie National Park."

But then there's the carbon released when my 30-06 discharges it's bullet to kill the Bison. Then I have to transport it's carcass back home - using fossil fuels for the pickup to do so. Then I have to use an electric saw to efficiently carve it up. Then I have to use more electricity for the freezer to preserve the meat. So it's not exactly carbon neutral.

Canis
How are you going to get lions and other carnivores to buy into your plan?

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 5:47 AM on 08 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

Thanks & Response

Spaceshaper: thank you for the correction on my mis-use of "disclaimer". It's always great to have an editor around. :)

Caniscadida & others: regarding eating animals, I just want to respond that the main (or first) purpose of many Heifer animals is indeed not for their meat. After all, immediately killing an animal for consumption isn't very sustainable, as then the animal is gone! The scope of the use of animals is again wide & holistic. Around here at Heifer we like to call it the 7 Ms:
-manure
-milk
-material
-money
-muscle
-motivation
-meat
and more!

There're llamas & alpacas that can navigate the high alpine terrain in South America without damaging the delicate tundra.
A surprising amount of the world's population drink not only goat's milk, but water buffalo & camel's milk as well.
There's silk worms in China that allow families to gain an economic foothold.
Angora rabbits raised for their fur (& sheared, not skinned).
Earthworms for vermaculture.
Bees for honey & pollination.
You get the idea...

Thanks to all for the great comments & thought-provoking discussion!

Ending Hunger, Saving the Earth Heifer International

by epenick at 10:07 PM on 08 Jun 2008

My father in law had two water buffalo

which I had bought for him. My wife had begged me to buy the first to spare it from the butcher. It got pregnant, we had two. It was the most obnoxious buffalo I have ever encountered. Always trying to gore me, always difficult. We ended up eating it.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 1:13 AM on 09 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

"it got pregnant"

And so presumably she was a she? But it never occurred to you to call her "she"? And then you wonder why she was running after you with her horn all the time? : )

I hope you and she made peace, once she was safely sliced up, and presented to you on a dish.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 1:50 AM on 09 Jun 2008

In Thai all animals are "it"

You do not refer to animals in Thailand as he or she.

Yeah we made peace because it was dead. Pretty tasty too, although we sold most of the meat. We paid 8,000 baht for the buffalo and sold the meat two years latter for 22,000. It grazed wild, so it didn't really cost us anything to maintain.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 2:08 AM on 09 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

And thus Diamond's point

Mac's story illustrates why Jared Diamond locates one of the keys to the success of the Mediterranean and Asian peoples as large animals that can be domesticated. Water buffalo and horses and other large ones especially, because they can provide traction for plowing.

The 5% Project

by JMG at 6:06 AM on 09 Jun 2008

Traction

"traction for plowing". No-till, the roots do the plowing, hehey.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 7:41 AM on 09 Jun 2008

This graph is for the United States only

Deforestation is the second leading source of GHG globally, behind fossil fuels.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 7:43 AM on 09 Jun 2008

Oops

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 7:47 AM on 09 Jun 2008

Under estimation?

I detect a possible under estimation in this graphic.

Since the digestion rate of natural bacteria that feed on manure and biomass is optimized at only one part of nitrogen (manure) to 30 parts of biomass (carbon), should not the manure (and chemical fertilizer) run off caused by human inaction be assigned a large portion of anthropogenic GHG? Also where is the huge amount of GHG effect (up to 2/3rds the CO2 uptake of all crops) fromm nitrous oxide emitted by chemical fertilizer?

I think they are wrongly blamed on natural causes. These are huge sources of GHG that could be brought under human control, by biodigesting manure and sustituting organic fertilizer for chemical.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 8:23 AM on 09 Jun 2008

JMG - good for transportation and eating

Large animals produce a lot of meat AND they are useful for transportation.

You don't see a lot of buffalo carts out here anymore, but I predict a comeback.

I am seriously thinking of buying some horses as well. I love to ride, and someday may have to give up the motorcycle for lack of fuel. On the other hand, it burns so little, I could probably run of bio fuel and still afford it.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 10:22 PM on 14 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

But not both at once, I suspect ...

In one of the more comical tales of the Old Norse Edda, we learn that the god of thunder, Thor, drove around in a goat-cart, pulled by two goats. When in the course of his travels he had to camp away from settlements, he could feed himself by slaughtering one or another of his goats, with a blow of his famous boomerang-hammer, then preparing the meat for dinner; and the next morning, he could restore that dinner-goat to life, with meat back on its bones and all, as good as new if not better, provided he had been careful not to break any of its bones. Then he would hitch up the goats, and they would ride off, continuing their journey.

(In the tale in question, an ignorant guest of Thor's breaks one of the goat's leg-bones during dinner, in order to eat the marrow -- which causes the goat some grief in the morning.)

For all I know, you have the powers of a god. But usually, I should think, a water-buffalo cannot be exploited BOTH as an animal that provides meat AND as an animal that pulls a wagon. Usually, the master of the water-buffalo has to choose how to exploit him/her, one way or the other.

Anyway, I thought you did not get along with water-buffaloes; the last one kept trying to gore you.

As for Heifer International's presence in Thailand, do you know of anybody who has received a water-buffalo from them?

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 11:43 PM on 14 Jun 2008

The one I saved that then found it's way onto my..

dinner plate I did not get along with. But usually I get along with them well.

Yes, you have to decide if it's for eating or for working. In most cases, since Thais have an aversion to beef for religious reasons, they are used for work.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 5:39 AM on 15 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

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