MADAM – Several aid charities are once again making their, by now traditional, Christmas pitch for donations to buy farmed animals for some of the world s poorest communities.

MADAM - Several aid charities are once again making their, by now traditional, Christmas pitch for donations to buy farmed animals for some of the world's poorest communities.

At first sight, it's an uplifting idea but the reality is that such animal gifts add to rather than diminish poverty.

That's because animal farming is a wasteful way of deploying limited agricultural resources (labour, land, energy and water). You can feed many more people by directing those resources to growing foods for people to eat directly rather than first passing nutrients through animals.

Inevitably, Animal Aid is keenly concerned about the welfare of the animals themselves. Please contact Animal Aid (or go to www.animalaid.co.uk) for a list of organisations that help animals, people and the environment.

Andrew Tyler, Director, Animal Aid, The Old Chapel

Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1AW