Heifer International

Heifer International is a global development organization on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. <br><br>Heifer International believes ending global hunger and poverty begins with agriculture. Since 1944, it has invested in more than 39 million small-scale farmers and their families around the world, providing livestock, training, and access to a wide range of farmer-focused services. <br><br>Working with rural communities in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income.

A world without hunger and poverty where smallholder farmers can meet demand for food through climat

Goal One: Support 10 million households to reach a living income by 2030

Goal Two: Promote and support collective action and the formation of farmer groups and farmer owned cooperatives

Goal Three: Build inclusive and effective value chains

Heifer International has invested in a new People Department to better meet the needs of the organization and its staff at local, regional and headquarter levels. The People Department is strengthening development policies across the organization and providing clearer guidance and support to leaders in formal and informal leaderships roles. In October 2020, Heifer International provided anti-racism training to all US staff, as part of a wider, ongoing DEI initiative covering all of the 21 countries it works in. In the past 12 months, efforts have also been made to strengthen learning circles, with more tailored support provided based on needs identified by staff and their managers. We have continued education in diverse market systems, emerging technologies and impact capital, and are planning for belonging labs focusing on employee engagement and inclusion. Senior leadership is engaged in a two-year process of intentional development, focused on key competency areas.

The global pandemic impacted communities around the world, hitting many of the world’s poorest people hardest. The local farmers and food producers we work with saw demand disappear overnight, as markets, hotels and restaurants were forced to close, and costs skyrocket, with restrictions on movement making access to animal feed, seeds and farm labor especially difficult. Many farmers saw their incomes drastically reduce or completely disappear, with limited opportunities to generate additional income. Farmers that were on a pathway toward living income regressed, with the income gap widening. Poverty and hunger are again on the rise, meaning support from Heifer International is needed to build resilient livelihoods providing protection to farmers in emergency situations, now more than ever. When the pandemic hit, our field teams provided immediate support to the communities they work with, sharing information on how farmers could protect their families from the virus, as well as masks and hand-washing equipment. As communities went into lockdown, farmers found it increasingly difficult to get their products to market and get access to farming inputs. Together with farmer cooperatives and other partners, we have invested in trucks, motorbikes and other distribution systems so farmers could continue to sell their produce, while working with governments and other local actors to ensure farmers could access medicines, feed, and important support services for their animals. As the pandemic continued, we began providing cash grants to communities for healthcare and other household needs and worked with local governments to procure supplies for community health clinics. Throughout the pandemic, we have kept in place strict protocols across the organization to minimize safety risks for our staff, providing flexible work schedules and paid health leave, as needed.