Ecuador

Country Context

In Ecuador, 61 percent of rural women engage in agricultural and related livelihood activities. Yet, rural family farmers struggle with volatile pricing due to dollarization, limited access to value-added processes and difficulties in securing formal financing. A recent economic downturn, worsened by organized crime, disruptions in oil production and climate-related events, has further stressed these vulnerabilities. According to recent estimates, poverty affects more than 25 percent of Ecuadorians — more than 4 million people — while food insecurity affects about one-third of the population.

Ecuador’s constitution recognizes the rights of nature and Indigenous peoples, underscoring a commitment to social justice and environmental stewardship. As climate-related disasters threaten economic stability and amplify food security challenges, they emphasize the increasing need for strong agricultural support and financial solutions for rural farmers that care for the Earth and all its people. The country’s diverse ecosystems — from the Amazonian rainforests to the Andean slopes — offer vast opportunities for rural development. By supporting rural family farmers, who are best positioned to responsibly steward the ecosystems they work in, agribusiness can drive economic growth, improve food stability and strengthen climate resilience to secure a sustainable future for Ecuador’s citizens.

Our Response

Heifer International’s objective in Ecuador is to ensure long-term results and foster partnerships for sustainable, locally led development. We envision resilient and prosperous communities where rural families access resources, knowledge and opportunities to reach their full potential. By providing technical assistance, training and financial support and connecting farmers to markets, we help grow the economy, improve food security and build resilience across Ecuador’s ecosystems.

Creating and improving rural businesses with environmentally friendly practices and sustainable landscape management are critical to our poverty alleviation efforts, with programs that promote resilient and fair food systems, gender equity, social inclusion and biodiversity conservation. We support rural communities to adopt more productive methods and nature-based solutions that protect, manage and restore degraded ecosystems, and we work closely with local populations — particularly Indigenous women — to leverage their leadership and knowledge to encourage self-management and sustainability.

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 reaching additional benchmarks for economic and climate resilience.

The Ecuador Signature Programs

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.

Future of Food

The Future of Food signature program aims to build sustainable food systems and reach 189,000 families in urban, peri-urban and rural areas by 2030. The program operates across five ecosystems — coastal marine, dry forest, humid forest, Andean slopes and páramo — to help rural families overcome poverty and reach a living income.

Promesa Café y Cacao

The Promesa Café y Cacao signature program strengthens food security for rural family producers of coffee and cacao in Ecuador, the world’s leading exporter of high-quality cacao. This program focuses on reducing reliance on a single seasonal product and generating year-round income to improve producers’ quality of life and livelihood sustainability.