In the Western world, we have lost sight of what used to constitute as "wealth", historically, in virtually every society, and that is quite simply: food. This is especially true of any food that could provide 1) more food (by means of its offspring), 2) food without sacrifice of the whole animal or plant (as with eggs, milk, fruit trees, and honey), 3) useful by-products (such as leather, bones, and fertilizer), and 4) labor. Cattle have historically served this purpose.
"The very word 'cattle' comes from the same etymological root as the word 'capital.' In many European languages, the word 'cattle' was synonomous with the words 'chattel' and 'capital.' Cattle meant property. [...]
"Cattle was one of the first forms of movable wealth, an asset that could be used as a standard medium of exchange between people and cultures. Both the grain-prodcuing empires of the Middle East and North Africa and the Mediterranean maritime powers traded in cattle. In ancient Greece, families often gave their female children cattle- derived names to emphasize their 'worth' and to attract male suitors. Polyboia means 'worth many cows,' Euboia meeans 'rich in cows,' and Phereboia means 'bringing in many cows.'"
(Jeremy Rifkin, Beyond Beef. Taken from this link.)
Heifer International is one well-known charity working to end world hunger. It distributes farm animals to people in need, and operates on the premise of "passing on the gift".
Beatrice Biira is one of Heifer International's most famous success stories. The gift of one goat brought this young woman out of poverty in Uganda and into a world of limitless possibilities.
Jessica Jackley explores a similar concept, the microloan, in this TED talk:
For more information about Kiva, visit www.kiva.org.
In honor of Beatrice's goat, this week's recipe is for homemade goat cheese.Goat cheese is a wonderful addition to salads, quesadillas, quiche, and so much more.
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