Pantophagous pest
From Alistair Fall
Sir: Matthew Parris’s article ‘Kill a goat if you want to save the planet’ (Another voice, 22 January) is absolutely correct in every respect. The goat is unique in so far as it will pull grass and other plants out of the ground and eat the entire plant, including the root: it is this characteristic that makes it so destructive and allows it to survive where nothing else can.
It is inexplicable that organisations like Christian Aid are raising money to buy more of these animals, and that they can be so profoundly ignorant of the harm that they are doing. If this is the kind of expertise and understanding that drives the aid organisations, it is no wonder that Africa continues to languish in poverty. Their (our) money would be far better spent on eradicating these pests.
Alistair Fall Wells, Somerset
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