Nepal

Country Context

Nepal, a landlocked country in South Asia, has a diverse population that faces substantial social and economic challenges. Agriculture remains central to the national economy, supporting a majority of households and employing about two-thirds of the population. A large share of households live outside of urban centers, where poverty rates are higher than the national average. Persistent issues such as caste-based discrimination and gender inequality were compounded by the devastating 2015 earthquakes — the worst disaster in Nepal’s history — which claimed nearly 9,000 lives and pushed an additional 1 million people into poverty.

Small landholdings, limited irrigation and restricted access to credit constrain agricultural productivity. Climate-driven weather variability threatens crops, and limited access to modern farming techniques reduces efficiency. Labor outmigration remains widespread, with remittances accounting for 26 percent of gross domestic product, often leaving women to manage both households and farms with limited resources or institutional support. Even so, Nepal’s diverse agroclimatic zones, fertile land and abundant water resources offer strong potential for agricultural development. Addressing these structural barriers could improve farmers’ livelihoods and support the economic stability of rural women and their communities.

Our Response

Heifer Nepal fosters resilience and sustainable development in rural communities. Our approach centers on the Social Entrepreneurs Women’s Alliance (SEWA), a network of cooperatives led by progressive women farmers. This alliance improves the livelihoods of women and smallholder farmers by enhancing their technical, governance and financial management skills. In collaboration with government bodies and local nongovernmental organizations, Heifer Nepal connects self-help groups, cooperatives and cooperative networks to strengthen community development and economic empowerment.

We provide livestock, seeds and training to boost agricultural productivity and market access. Our programs prioritize gender equity by supporting women in agriculture with targeted training and leadership development. We also implement disaster preparedness programs and build resilient infrastructure to protect communities from adverse weather. These initiatives enable farmers to build sustainable businesses, access vital markets and empower their communities to train a new generation of agricultural leaders.

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 also reaching additional benchmarks for economic and climate resilience.

The Nepal 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.

Milky Way

Heifer Nepal’s Milky Way signature program is designed to transform the dairy sector, significantly improve the livelihoods of more than 500,000 smallholder dairy farmers and double milk production by 2030. The initiative collaborates extensively with government bodies, development banks, private-sector actors and Korean partners to address systemic barriers across the dairy value chain. By reforming policies and practices crucial for dairy development, the program focuses on creating sustainable institutions and structures within rural economies to ensure permanent impact.

Strengthening Smallholder Livestock Value Chains

Heifer Nepal’s Strengthening Smallholder Livestock Value Chains (SLVC II) signature program targets the meat goat and dairy value chains to connect smallholder producers with profitable formal markets. It aims to scale up the enterprises of 125,000 participating families and an additional 350,000 families indirectly across 29 districts by incorporating innovative technology and improving access to finance and business development services, including input supply, technical support, market access, insurance and financing.

Value Chains for Inclusive Transformation of Agriculture Program

The Value Chains for Inclusive Transformation of Agriculture Program (VITA), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is set to bolster the capacities of Nepali farmers by building social capital, developing agricultural businesses and strengthening community ties to promote sustainable economic growth. Financial inclusion is a key aspect, facilitated by the “Bank Sathi” concept, where local facilitators — or “Bank Friends” — assist farmers in accessing necessary financial services such as loans.