Work & Income

Heifer developed the sustainable living income concept as a holistic measure of farming households’ well-being, measuring income alongside additional indicators that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Achieving sustainable living income means a household earns sufficient income to support a decent life — including safe and secure shelter, nutritious food, clothing, education and health care — while also reaching benchmarks for climate-friendly farming practices, women’s empowerment, food security and social capital development, all essential markers for building long-term resilience to shocks.

Our approach is and has always been locally led by the communities we serve, in response to their expressed needs and priorities. Heifer conducts baseline testing and value chain analysis to determine what agricultural products are best suited to helping households earn a dignified living, in consideration of the local environment, culture, resources and market demand. 

Value chain analyses include a study of the value chain ecosystem, reviewing current actors, infrastructure and government policies, as well bottlenecks in the system and the potential for smallholder farmers to participate and turn a profit. Once a feasible value chain is identified, we support communities to select, manage and invest in diversified livelihood opportunities within it.

The path to entrepreneurship starts with supporting farmers to organize into self-help groups, farmer producer organizations or cooperatives and work together to identify key livelihood challenges and agree on plans to address them.

Heifer’s role is to facilitate market linkages; skills training, including improved production, business management, leadership and climate-smart practices; and extension services, such as animal health services. We also facilitate access to finance, information, technology and infrastructure to help farmers and cooperatives scale their operations and compete in local and global markets.

Working collectively, farmers can leverage Heifer’s support to capture more value from their farm products, leading to increased incomes and improved prospects for families and communities.

Heifer works with public and private sector partners to create an enabling environment that supports trade and investment in domestic and global food systems. As farmers transition to becoming entrepreneurs, strong partnerships with government agencies, processors, food companies and others ensure farmers can better meet the demand for their products, find opportunities to access new markets and accelerate progress toward sustainable development.

Heifer also works closely with local partners and public and private stakeholders to facilitate infrastructure development, such as affordable electricity, clean water, communications infrastructure and processing facilities, so farmers and rural communities can build sound agribusinesses and compete in relevant market systems.