Oprah Winfrey is supporting Heifer International (HI) on her show. However, this charity is not what it seems. HI's local farm in Central Massachusetts, called Overlook Farms, is right near us in Rutland, Mass. They raise lambs and other animals for slaughter. It is no different than any other animal farm.

We consider the "donation" of animals to other countries to be a thinly viewed attempt to spread dairy and meat consumption to new parts of the world in which the land cannot sustain it. Charities like HI are bringing a cruel, unhealthy, environmentally destructive diet to cultures that are often primarily vegetarian. Plus, one of the cruelest aspects of animal agriculture is the transport of animals by boat, which is a mainstay of this organization. We also we wonder how many of these poor animals just get eaten on the spot upon arrival.

HI-type charities are popular with meat-eating liberals. They may have started out with a good idea, but haven’t evolved with the forefront of social change, which recognizes that the arms of compassion are wide enough to encompass all sentient beings.

Animal agriculture is antithetical to sustainability, ending hunger, promoting health, and bringing peace to the world. Charities and those promoting them need to hear that exploiting animals makes the world a more violent, not a more peaceful, place.

Plus, members of many cultural groups are actually often allergic to dairy. Further, forcing an American style, destructive diet on other cultures is the worst kind of cultural imperialism. Note that HI first sent dairy cows to Japan, after WWII, instead of sending them healthy food that was a natural part of the Japanese diet.

 These charities need to learn that veganism is the only sane, ethical, compassionate, healthy, sustainable solution and that promoting animal agriculture exacerbates the conditions they purport to relieve.

There are alternative ways of feeding the hungry without exploiting animals or devastating the environment; please see below at right for some great ones.

Helen & Steve Rayshick

Founders, Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition (MARC) www.massanimalrights.org