They are the fashionable Christmas gifts at the centre of a multi-million pound fund-raising campaign aimed at those desperate to help save the world from poverty. But critics now claim that buying a goat, cow or even half a dozen chickens through schemes run by Oxfam is doing more harm than good.
Instead of helping impoverished communities in the developing world flourish it is spreading disease, damaging the environment and wiping out vital water supplies.
Yesterday, the World Land Trust and Animal Aid said it was simply "madness" to send farm animals to areas where they will add to the problems of drought and desertification.
John Burton, director of the trust, said: "I was prepared to put this down to ignorance of the issues last year, but now it seems utterly cynical. They seem to be doing this just to make money at Christmas. It's a gimmick."
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Please stop selling live animals to developing countries like Malawi, India and Africa where they are likely to be eatern. Buying a goat, cow or even half a dozen chickens through schemes run by Oxfam is doing more harm than good.
Instead of helping impoverished communities in the developing world flourish these "gifts" are spreading disease, damaging the environment and wiping out vital water supplies.
Two goats, purchased for £125, can reduce the amount of farmland available to local people and result in villages becoming deserted whilst a cow, at £750, will drink up to 90 litres of water every single day.
"At Christmas time, people are desperate to make a gesture that will benefit the world's most vulnerable communities, if only to make us feel better about the relative great wealth the majority of us in the developed world enjoy," said Andrew Tyler, director of Animal Aid.
"But while donating animals might make the donor feel good, such gifts simply add to the burden of the impoverished recipients. There are many worthwhile initiatives to help people in developing countries that do not involve the exploitation of animals.
"We urge the public this year to boycott all donate-an-animal schemes and support projects that actually help people, animals and the environment. These schemes are not a good thing."
Thank you Mr Goldring for taking the time to read this petition.
