Climate

Where the effects of climate change have made farming more precarious than ever, one woman is taking the lead to help her community adapt.

Everyone on the planet feels the effects of climate change, but the climate crisis is especially impactful on agriculture and the world’s smallholder farmers.

On the heels of extreme flooding that devastated farmland in Nigeria, Heifer’s pay-at-harvest crop insurance program is reducing the vulnerability of farmers across the country.

At Heifer Ranch, the team cares for the animals above the ground as well as those below — the communities of tiny, soil-dwelling creatures that builds the land’s resilience to climate shocks.

Alongside the local government, Heifer Ecuador is working with Galápagos Island farmers to build a sustainable food system for one of the most revered places on the planet.

Feeding the world’s 7.9 billion people is no small task. Around the globe, Heifer promotes farming processes that increase production, build resilience and improve environmental sustainability.

In India’s Bihar state, the process of drying animal dung for fuel is common — but harmful. Thanks to Heifer India installing a biogas unit in her home, farmer Sarita Kumari now combines dung and water to fuel her stove, create potent manure and save on costs.

Donna Kilpatrick is putting her expertise to work as the manager and land steward of Heifer Ranch, a 1,200-acre working farm in Perryville, just 40 miles to the west of Arkansas’ state capital in Little Rock.

From an early age, Amy Smith felt she should use her skills to end poverty. With aptitude and passion for both engineering and international development, Smith committed her professional life to combining the two in a meaningful way, starting D-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002.