Live Chats
Heifer International Live Chats welcome outside experts in agriculture and international development for virtual fireside-style chats. Hosted by President and CEO Pierre Ferrari and other Heifer leaders, the conversations explore the challenges facing our food and farming systems.
Recorded Live Chats

Growing a Better World: Livestock and Regenerative Agriculture
Donna Kilpatrick, Heifer Ranch Manager and Land Steward, and Nicolette Hahn Niman, rancher, attorney and author of Defending Beef, have a conversation about food, farming and climate change.

Investing in Smallholder Farmers for the Future of Africa’s Agriculture: Skoll World Forum Ecosystem Event
Adesuwa Ifedi, Heifer International Senior Vice President of Africa Programs, Jehiel Oliver, Founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, and Samson Odera, a tractor owner who works with Hello Tractor, met for a Skoll World Forum Ecosystem Day event.

Breaking Barriers through Women's Cooperatives in Nepal
Neena Joshi, Heifer International Senior Director of Asia Programs for Cooperative Development, and Dr. Laurie Miller, child nutrition expert and Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine discuss women's cooperatives in Nepal.

Understanding Regenerative Agriculture
Donna Kilpatrick, Heifer Ranch Manager and Land Steward for Heifer USA, explains what regenerative agriculture is and how it differs from other climate friendly terms.

Tackling Climate Change through Regenerative Agriculture
Heifer USA's Heifer Ranch Manager and Land Steward, Donna Kilpatrick, and the Savory Institute’s Global Network Coordinator, Abbey Smith, discuss the potential for scaling up regenerative agriculture to reverse climate change.

Cows and the Planet: Small-Scale Animal Agriculture and Climate Change
Dr. Jude Capper, livestock sustainability expert and Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO of Heifer International discuss the role of small-scale animal agriculture in tackling climate change.

How to Solve the World’s Food Waste Problem, with Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, founder and CEO of ColdHubs
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, CEO of ColdHubs, discusses the importance of innovative storage solutions for smallholders to reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmer incomes and increase food security in Africa.

How the “Uber” of Tractors is Building Opportunity for Smallholder Farmers in Africa, with Hello Tractor’s Jehiel Oliver
Heifer International Senior Vice President of Africa Programs, Adesuwa Ifedi, and founder and CEO of Hello Tractor, Jehiel Oliver, discuss why ongoing investment in innovative agritech companies is necessary for scaling up proven

Can Big Tech Change the Game for Smallholder Farmers?
Pierre Ferrari and Luq Niazi discuss the role of big tech in putting the power of information in the hands of smallholder farmers to increase incomes, improve livelihoods and build more profitable smallholder agribusinesses.

The Future of Africa's Agriculture: Youth & Technology
Join Adesuwa Ifedi in a chat with Pierre Ferrari on the challenges to youth development and the future of agriculture Africa

Live from Haiti with Hervil Cherubin, Heifer Haiti Resilience Senior Director
As the full extent of a major earthquake in Haiti becomes clear, teams from Heifer Haiti are on the ground assessing the damage and needs in the communities Heifer works with.

How a New Approach to Pricing Can Improve Livelihoods in Coffee Farming Communities
For many, a cup of coffee is a morning staple. But the journey from farm to roaster to coffee shop is one beset by inequality, and coffee farmers worldwide subsist in poverty.

The Case for Better Meat: Why Livestock is Essential to a Healthy Planet
Diana Rodgers speaks on the critical role that livestock plays in regenerative agriculture and human nutrition.

Farming and Food Justice - A Conversation with Leah Penniman
As the author of Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land, Leah Penniman is an incredible leader in sustainable farming and a powerful speaker.

How Farmer Cooperatives Help Build Food Justice
Founder of Rise and Root Farm and food justice activist, Karen Washington, speaks with Heifer USA Director, Perry Jones about building food justice.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Sustainable Seafood and its Importance to Local and Global Food Systems
Barton Seaver will join a conversation on how consumers can support a more sustainable global food system.

Why Money Matters in Rebuilding the Food System
Join Esther Park, CEO of Cienega Capital, in conversation with Pierre Ferrari, President CEO of Heifer International, as they discuss the root causes of inequities within our food and farming system.

HeiferTogether Conversation - Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl speaks about patterns in food consumption and our changing connection to the origin and health benefits of the food we eat.

Live Chat Highlights: Spotlighting Black Women Leaders in Agriculture
On Juneteenth, Heifer International recognized the significant contributions of Black Americans to the history and future of our food and farming systems.

Why Governments and NGOs Must Support Longterm Sustainable Solutions to Agricultural Development
Dr. Brady Deaton will discuss how governments and NGOs can help create more equitable food systems.

Promoting Financial Inclusion and Gender Equality through Digital Access with PayPal’s Rosita Najmi
Rosita Najmi, PayPal’s Head of Global Social Innovation, discusses the Generation Equality Forum to promote gender equality.

The Future of International Development and Media with Devex Editor-in-Chief, Raj Kumar
Editor-in-Chief of Devex, Raj Kumar, will speak about what to expect in international development and media in a post COVID-19 world.

Why smallholder farming is the solution to a more resilient food and farming system
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, discusses why government support is critical to scaling up sustainable, small-scale farms.

How Livestock Investments Strengthen Food Security, Incomes, and Resilience
Country Director of Heifer Zambia, Petronella Halwiindi, and agricultural economist Alex Winter-Nelson, PhD discuss the impacts of COVID-19.

How Digital Currency Could Help the Global Economy in Times of Crisis
Dante Disparte, Vice Chair of the Libra Association, discusses financial inclusion and the role financial systems like Libra could play in responding to global crises.

Between Two Farmers: Heifer USA's Donna Kilpatrick speaks with White Oak Pastures' Will Harris
Heifer International's Donna Kilpatrick and regenerative agriculture expert, Will Harris, discuss the state of the U.S. food and farming system.

Heifer Ecuador Helps Farmers Reach Consumers During COVID-19
Rosa Rodriguez, Country Director of Heifer Ecuador, discusses how local farmers are responding to the COVID-19 crisis with the support of Heifer.

The Role of Philanthropy in COVID-19 Humanitarian Assistance
Peter Laugharn, President and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, discusses the role of philanthropy during the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 and the Global Food and Farming System
Ertharin Cousin, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, discusses why our food system is so vulnerable in a crisis like COVID-19 and how to fix it.

Earth Day Virtual Panel: Lessons from Indigenous Agriculture for Achieving Food Sovereignty
Learning from Indigenous communities and recognizing their founding role in a holistic approach to food and farming is key to feeding the world while cooling the planet.

The Role of Impact Investing in the Future of Financing Development
Morgan Simon, Founding Partner of Candide Group and author of Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change discusses the future of impact investing.

No Regrets: Why Carbon Sequestration is Agriculture’s Biggest Job
Join owner and manager of Paicines Ranch, a 7,600-acre ranch in central California, Sallie Calhoun, for a discussion on the importance of investing in carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture.

A Conversation with The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist, Nicholas Kristof, speaks about the potential for a greater, more impactful hunger pandemic and how the world should respond.

Citizen Farmers: How to Produce Healthy Food that Gives Back with Daron “Farmer D” Joffe
Daron “Farmer D” Joffe believes there is a farmer in everyone. The ideas in his book has led to the development of a movement of gardeners and farmers everywhere.

What is Regenerative Agriculture and How Can It Help Fight Climate Change?
Join CEO of Savory Institute, Daniela Ibarra-Howell, for a conversation on how regenerative agriculture can play an important role in feeding the world, while cooling the planet.

Ending Hunger through Farming: Why Local Farms are Key to Sustainable Community Development
Join Cindy Ayers Elliott as she discusses how she went from investment banker to farmer, in order to focus on sustainable community development through local farming.

Building More Resilient Food Systems with Julia Child Award Recipient Danielle Nierenberg
Join Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank, as she discusses the challenges and opportunities for building more resilient food systems beyond COVID-19.

Sacred Cow Q&A with Diana Rodgers
Sacred Cow comes at a critical point in nutrition and sustainability, as the film probes the fundamental moral, environmental and nutritional quandaries associated with raising and eating animals.

The Real Cost of Food: Is the Global Pandemic Changing How We Eat?
Founder of Manna Tree, Gabrielle Rubenstein discusses how to increase investment in socially conscious, profit-making companies.

The Real Cost of Food: Is the Global Pandemic Changing How We Eat?
The Washington Post’s national food business reporter, Laura Reiley, discusses her reporting on the impacts of the pandemic on the food system and the widespread market disruption.

The Role of NGOs in a Post-COVID-19 World
Join leading expert on INGO organizational effectiveness, leadership development and culture, Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken, discussing the role of NGOs in the future of development.

A Live Conversation on the U.S. Hunger and Nutrition Crisis with Chef Tom Colicchio
Awaiting the results of the U.S. presidential election, Tom and Pierre will discuss how the next four years could impact sustainable food systems.

World Food Day Conversation Series on Supporting Smallholder Farmers During COVID-19
Listen to a one-hour conversation series with Heifer country programs as they discuss how each have responded to the crisis.

A Live Conversation on Soil Health and Food Security with Soil Expert Dr. Esther Ndumi Ngumbi
Join Professor of Entomology at University of Illinois, Dr. Esther Ndumi Ngumbi for a discussion on why soil is critical to food security.

From Large-Scale Food Production to Smallholder Farming in Africa
Former Tyson Foods CEO, Donnie Smith, discusses his experience in large-scale food production and how it influenced his recent transition to supporting sustainable smallholder farming.

Sustainable Solutions for Resilient Farming Communities
Walmart Foundation’s Director of Sustainability, Sherry-Lee Singh, discusses how farmer-producer organizations can help advance gender equity and community resilience.

Why Diaspora Investment is Important to Scaling up Agriculture Businesses
Founder and Executive Director of The Africa Diaspora Network, Almaz Negash, joins President and CEO of Heifer International, Pierre Ferrari, to discuss why diaspora investment is critical to helping smallholder farmers grow their businesses.