food security icon of fish.
Food Security and Nutrition

Ending hunger and poverty in a sustainable way

We work with farmers to improve productivity, diversify their businesses and increase incomes. With a living income they can provide quality food for themselves and their families.

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Balanced Diets

Balanced diets

As the global population has boomed, demand for food has put immense pressure on the land.

At Heifer International, we know the importance of animal-sourced foods for ending hunger and poverty. In areas of high malnutrition, they are the fastest way of getting vital nutrients to people who need them most.

We also know that healthy diets are balanced diets. Together with livestock, crops provide an important source of nutrition and income for farming families.

Sustainable Growth Model

Sustained growth model

Working with farmers, we improve productivity and identify opportunities to add value to what they’re already producing or expand into new product areas to meet market demand.

We believe connections are critical in what we do – people connect to each other and to market systems – these are vital for improving our sustained growth model.

While subsistence provides goods and nutrition for the time being, an active marketplace creates incomes, savings, education, employment and opportunities for communities to retain their people, develop new skills and increase earning potential.

With a living income, people can be even more productive actors in growing their own local economy.

See how Heifer is creating food security globally

Learn more about Hatching Hope.

Hatching Hope

An efficient, productive poultry farm can change everything for farmers, their families, and their communities.

Learn More About Hatching Hope
Hatching Hope chicks

Our Work Areas

Learn more about Risk Mitigation and Resilience.
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Risk Mitigation and Resilience

We help people forge the first connections so that they can shift from subsistence to sustainability – from reliance on others to resilience.

Learn more about Environmental Sustainability.
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Environmental Sustainability

We believe women-led, small-scale farming is the future of our economy and our relationship with the Earth.

Learn more about Economic Development.
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Economic Development

We work with farmers and their communities to identify opportunities within value chains that deliver living incomes.

Learn more about Women's Empowerment and Social Capital.
Women's Empowerment Malawi

Women’s Empowerment and Social Capital

Investing in women is key to ending hunger and poverty. And it’s at the very center of our community development approach.