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We train and support farmers — especially women — to reach new markets, raise better livestock and earn more money.
Nepal, a landlocked country in South Asia, has a diverse population that faces substantial social and economic challenges. Agriculture is central to the national economy, supporting nearly 80 percent of households and 66 percent of the labor force, yet more than 80 percent of Nepal's population lives in rural areas, with these communities tending to experience higher levels of poverty. Persistent issues such as caste-based discrimination and gender inequality are exacerbated by the devastating 2015 earthquakes — the worst disaster in Nepal’s history — which claimed 9,000 lives and pushed an additional 1 million people into poverty.
Small landholdings, inadequate irrigation and limited access to credit restrict agricultural productivity. Erratic weather patterns from climate change threaten crops, while a lack of modern farming techniques hinders farm efficiency. More than half of Nepalese households are affected by outmigration for work, which often leaves women shouldering dual responsibilities of household and farm management without adequate resources or support. Nevertheless, Nepal’s diverse agroclimatic zones, fertile land and abundant water resources hold significant potential for agricultural development. If the country can address these multifaceted issues, there is substantial opportunity to improve the livelihoods of Nepali farmers and contribute to the economic stability of rural women and their communities.
Heifer Nepal fosters resilience and sustainable development in rural communities. Our approach centers on the Social Entrepreneurs Women’s Alliance (SEWA), a network of cooperatives led by progressive women farmers. This alliance improves the livelihoods of women and smallholder farmers by enhancing their technical, governance and financial management skills. In collaboration with government bodies and local nongovernmental organizations, Heifer Nepal connects self-help groups, cooperatives and cooperative networks to strengthen community development and economic empowerment.
We provide livestock, seeds and training to boost agricultural productivity and market access. Our programs prioritize gender equity by supporting women in agriculture with targeted training and leadership development. We also implement disaster preparedness programs and build resilient infrastructure to protect communities from adverse weather. These initiatives enable farmers to build sustainable businesses, access vital markets and empower their communities to train a new generation of agricultural leaders.
Our primary objective is helping families achieve a sustainable living income, our measure for the amount of money required for a decent life — including safe shelter, nutritious food, clothing, education and health care — while also reaching additional benchmarks for economic and climate resilience.
Dairy
Fish
Fruits & Vegetables
Small Ruminants
Spices
Poultry
Year Heifer launched in Nepal
Household participants in 2024
Household participants to date
Heifer International’s work is organized at the country level into Signature Programs focused on large-scale, measurable and sustainable impact achieved by building partnerships at all levels. Each program supports farmers through time-bound projects designed to increase their household income.
Heifer Nepal’s Milky Way Signature Program is designed to transform the dairy sector, significantly improve the livelihoods of more than 500,000 smallholder dairy farmers and double milk production by 2030. The initiative collaborates extensively with government bodies, development banks, private-sector actors and Korean partners to address systemic barriers across the dairy value chain. By reforming policies and practices crucial for dairy development, the program focuses on creating sustainable institutions and structures within rural economies to ensure permanent impact.
Heifer Nepal’s Strengthening Smallholder Livestock Value Chains (SLVCII) Signature Program targets the meat goat and dairy value chains to connect smallholder producers with profitable formal markets. It aims to scale up the enterprises of 125,000 participating families and an additional 350,000 families indirectly across 29 districts by incorporating innovative technology and improving access to finance and business development services, including input supply, technical support, market access, insurance and financing.
The Value Chains for Inclusive Transformation of Agriculture Program (VITA), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is set to bolster the capacities of Nepali farmers by building social capital, developing agricultural businesses and strengthening community ties to promote sustainable economic growth. Financial inclusion is a key aspect, facilitated by the “Bank Sathi” concept, where local facilitators — or “Bank Friends” — assist farmers in accessing necessary financial services such as loans.
The Building Resilience Through Climate-Smart Livestock Farming in Western Nepal project addresses the challenge of sustaining small-scale livestock farming while reducing its environmental impact. It promotes climate-smart practices, focusing on goat and dairy farming methods. The project’s goal is to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers through sustainable and profitable livestock enterprises. It also aims to build social capital, increase income and reduce the environmental footprint, aligning with national climate change mitigation targets.
The Climate-Smart Dairy Farming in Nepal project is a collaboration between Heifer Nepal and Heifer Netherlands, with technical support from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the National Agriculture Research Center (NARC). This project aims to use rigorous research — including feeding management experiments and efficient animal waste recycling methods — to make dairy farming economically and environmentally sustainable for smallholder farmers. Although initially targeting 100 families, the project’s strategies and outcomes are designed to be replicated and scaled up nationwide through Heifer Nepal’s Milky Way Signature Program.
The Innovations in Agro-Livestock Value Chains Development in Nepal (IALVC) project focuses on improving the farming of goats, vegetables and dairy in Nepal. Its goal is to help 163,418 smallholder farmers increase their farming productivity and better connect with markets so they can achieve sustainable living incomes.
The Integrated Dairy Productivity Improvement Project for Smallholder Farmers in Kamalamai Municipality project’s primary goal is to improve Nepal’s dairy sector by making milk production more efficient and refining the quality of milk. This will help farmers grow their businesses and allow more families, especially those in need, to consume enough milk and gain essential nutrients. We plan to achieve this by giving farmers better access to technology and tools, providing more feed for their cows and teaching them how to keep their milk clean and safe by adopting good hygienic practices.
The Nepal Government Partnership for Economic Growth project collaborates with multiple local governments to leverage resources such as funding, infrastructure and expertise to implement Heifer’s model, which cultivates local ownership and ensures continuous investment for sustainable development. The initiative is designed to help 75,000 families close the living income gap by improving access to financial services and finding buyers through innovative technologies such as a virtual collection center app for goat sales.
