As the holiday season ramps up and the year comes to a close, many of us are besieged with pamphlets and emails from organizations that provide farm animals to people in impoverished areas, the idea being to bring “income and nutrition” to these communities. Many well-intentioned people are enticed by the celebrity endorsements and pictures of happy farm animals with big red bows around their necks.

While this might sound good on paper, the water and land needs of livestock in areas that are often short on both quickly outweigh the benefits -- instead it increases human dependence on an unsustainable food-system that depletes the environment and does not fulfill all of a community’s real nutritional or long-term survival needs

Those who keep up with the issues of global warming (see our global warming page and environment page) know that a meat-based diet is actually causing an increase of poverty and malnutrition in the world and harming our environment.

The charities engaging in this practice insist that there are no other resources available other than livestock. In a world with a population growing out of control, we believe it is foolish not to be working towards helping impoverished people in more sustainable and compassionate ways.

Of course, by supporting WFAS, you can know that you are helping us continue in our mission to educate people on all of these important issues, as well as helping us directly care for so many rescued animal friends!

This holiday season, spread the word about giving to compassionate charities that don’t engage in harming animals, and you will be giving all of us on this earth, human and non-human, a great gift.

More info:

What’s Wrong With the Heifer Project?

Just Think Before You Give

Animal Place: Don’t Gift A Goat!

Don't follow the herd and give a cow for Christmas

Charities that work to end global hunger without the use of animal agriculture:

Food for Life Global

Sustainable Harvest International

Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

Plenty International

VegFam