Food Security 

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.

Heifer’s focus when facilitating market connections is creating an enabling environment that supports better integration of smallholder farmers in local and global food systems as a means of driving rural agribusiness opportunities and economic development.

As farmers transition from subsistence farming to becoming agribusiness entrepreneurs, sound market connections ensure they can better meet the demand for their products, access new market prospects and accelerate their progress toward earning a reliable income that meets the needs of their household.

We prioritize value chains and market systems that are demand driven, often aiming to fill gaps in local food production to better meet market needs, reduce reliance on imports and strengthen domestic food systems for sustained impact on household and regional food security.

Heifer works with public and private sector partners to create a conducive environment for 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 they can better meet market demand for their products, find opportunities to access new markets and advance 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 resilient agribusinesses and compete in relevant market systems for the long term.

Heifer’s environmental strategy, called Caring for the Earth, anchors climate-smart and regenerative practices in our programs to support smallholder farming communities to sustainably improve food production and livelihoods while strengthening their ability to withstand climate shocks.

Our three-pronged climate adaptation approach focuses on increased resilience of smallholder farming communities to climate, environment and economic challenges; increased efficiency of local food systems; and increased health and resilience of farms and other ecosystems.

We accelerate positive outcomes in these focus areas through initiatives that improve production, capacity and income at the farm level; enhance resource management and reduce pollution and food spoilage in market systems; and contribute to broader environmental health, including better soil health, decreased erosion, increased biodiversity and improved animal well-being.

We also work to improve farmers’ climate preparedness and ability to recover from climate shocks by facilitating access to profitable markets, improving the availability of extension services and climate information, and connecting them to financial tools, such as loans and crop insurance, that build the economic stability required for long-term food security.

Heifer collaborates with farmers, cooperatives and partners to improve food production at both the farm and market levels. 

We promote regenerative and climate-smart practices that conserve resources, reduce waste and safely increase food production without depleting the land. We also work with farmers to adopt modern agricultural techniques, access equipment and technology, and connect to buyers to reduce pre- and post-harvest losses and secure more value for their yields. 

Connecting farmers and cooperatives to capital and financial tools enables local investment in inputs, tools and facilities to enhance agricultural productivity and efficiency, such as transportation, refrigeration and collection centers. Additionally, we partner with public and private stakeholders to facilitate infrastructure development, such as affordable electricity, clean water, communications infrastructure and processing facilities, so rural communities can better integrate into food systems and bring more of their products to market.