A person stands among a large herd of cattle on a dirt field at sunrise or sunset, with green trees and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Our Work

Heifer International supports smallholder farmers to sustainably address hunger and poverty in their communities while caring for the Earth. We apply a food systems approach to helping farmers earn more income and to generate economic opportunity for rural women, youth and Indigenous populations.

Our Focus Areas

Heifer’s work advances farmer-centered solutions that foster more productive, inclusive and sustainable food systems and more resilient rural communities.

Work & Income

Climate & Environment

Food Security

One Health

Women & Inclusion

Value Chains Supported

Agave

Beekeeping

Beef Cattle

Coffee & Cacao

Crustaceans

Dairy

Eggs

Fish

Fruits & Vegetables

Grains & Cereals

Horticulture

Maize

Nuts

Oilseeds

Poultry

Rice

Small Ruminants

Spices

Swine

Our Approach

Heifer’s model is locally led, built on close collaboration with communities and key stakeholders to catalyze sustainable, scalable impact.

Community Development

We work with farming communities to establish strong social capital, building the foundation for program success.

Capacity Strengthening

We provide technical and business training to support farmers and cooperatives as they develop viable agribusinesses.

Connection to Markets

We facilitate new formal market avenues for farmers to profit and to drive economic growth in rural communities.

Partnerships

We work with strategic partners at all levels to connect farmers to opportunity and achieve sustainable impact at scale.

Woman in a headdress counting money.

Leveraging Capital

Heifer leverages third-party investments to extend program dollars and generate impact at scale.

Harnessing Technology

Heifer invests in and deploys appropriate and accessible technologies with potential to transform smallholder farming systems.

More on Our Approach

Where We Work

Overcoming hunger and poverty takes a global village. That’s why we work alongside partners and farming families in 19 countries around the world.

Choose a country to learn more:

Two women and a child holding chicks.
Bangladesh

We support women farmers to increase production, earn more from their products and unlock opportunity.

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Farmers in Cambodia show lettuce in their greenhouse.
Cambodia

We connect farmers with skills, knowledge and networks so they can raise more, sell more and earn more.

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Nory Plua in his Farm in San Cristobal, Galápagos, Ecuador.
Ecuador

We strengthen triple-impact rural businesses, driving positive outcomes for incomes, food security and the environment.

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Ethiopia

We leverage partnerships to implement innovative, market-based solutions that improve incomes for smallholder farmers.

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Participants of Heifer’s Green Business Belt (GBB) program.
Guatemala

We work with producers to develop businesses that increase their incomes while caring for the Earth.

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A man works in a community nursery in Haiti.
Haiti

We support the people of Haiti to address food insecurity, climate shocks and fragility.

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Keyla Aparicio holds and inspect a handful of grass from the pasture.
Honduras

We equip farmers with tools, knowledge and networks to master agroecology, enhance productivity and connect with lucrative markets.

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Chanchala Mohanta and Rukmini Mohanta collect marigold flowers from their garden.
India

We help farmers work collectively to produce food, connect to markets and secure resilient futures.

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Christine Okode inside her agrovet shop packing some chicken feeds for a customer.
Kenya

We partner with Kenyan farmers to build sustainable futures through resources, training and community values.

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Malawi

We help farmers build profitable agribusinesses to earn income, overcome poverty and feed their families.

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Mexico

We partner with smallholder farmers for growth, connection to markets and sustainability.

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Nepal

We train and support farmers — especially women — to reach new markets, raise better livestock and earn more money.

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Nigeria

We equip smallholder farmers, youth and women with tools, skills and innovations to unlock agricultural potential.

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Rwanda

We bridge the gap for smallholder farms, connecting them to value-expanding markets, agricultural knowledge and financial empowerment.

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Man in Senegal tending to his farm.
Senegal

We supply farmers with tools and services to overcome climate challenges, participate in markets and earn more income.

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A veterinarian prepares medicine for a cow.
Tanzania

We connect farmers to training, services and market opportunities to transform household farms into thriving businesses.

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A woman in Uganda holding seeds.
Uganda

We support women farmers to increase production, earn more from their products and unlock opportunity.

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A field of cows grazing.
United States

We partner with smallholder farmers to cultivate prosperity in farming and food through climate-smart strategies.

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Family in Zambia poses with their cows.
Zambia

We are helping 320,000 households escape poverty and become sustainably resilient by 2030.

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Three women in hats and casual clothes sit among green leafy plants in a field, smiling at the camera on a sunny day with a blue sky in the background.

Our Programs

Our work is organized into Signature Programs that are focused on large-scale, measurable and sustainable impact achieved by building partnerships at all levels, including community organizations, farmer cooperatives, local and national governments, businesses and international funding institutions. Each program supports farmers through time-bound projects designed to increase their household income.

 

See All Signature Programs