Livestock

Quick thought: We of the developed countries have long forgotten how dead useful a livestock animal is. This struck me as I was reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, in the section about the three years of rain, in which one of the characters, Petra Cotes, is able to survive by keeping her mule alive. What? Keeping a mule alive? Big deal. What can a mule do? This gut reaction most likely comes from a lifetime of detachment from livestock animals, not to mention all things farm in general. However, in the developing world, and in the fading world of human history, livestock have served as an invaluable resource against calamity. A kind of savings account that can be sold or killed in times of dire need and serves as an indication of status and wealth. It's funny to me how differently we, "the developed", see livestock animals. I would argue that we associate them more often than not with poverty and ignorance. One hundred years ago? Probably not the case. A lot has changed. But, it does explain why Heifer is so keen on providing livestock to impoverished communities. Domesticated animals are a really good way to get people on their feet. Until, of course, you accrue enough wealth and security to concentrate all your livestock animals in distant corners of the map so that you can do better things with your time and keep on eating meat without thinking about them.