Our Work

At Heifer International Nepal, we empower smallholder farmers to sustainably overcome hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Through a holistic food systems approach, we help farmers increase their incomes and create lasting economic opportunities for rural women, youth, and Indigenous communities

Theory Of Change

Guided by the Theory of Change and the Values Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD), Heifer is working with rural women farmers to lead Nepal to achieve the goal of milk and goat meat self-sufficiency and aims of increasing annual income of the farming families by 72% and reach NPR 557,000 annually.

Increase Income & Assets

Food Security & Nutrition

Increase Income & Assets

Caring for the Earth

Work Areas

Heifer’s work promotes farmer-centered solutions that build more productive, inclusive, and sustainable food systems, strengthening the resilience of rural communities.

Sustainable Agriculture

Promoting environmentally friendly farming practices that enhance productivity while preserving natural resources for future generations.

Food Security and Nutrition

With increased productivity of livestock and crops, farmers provide their families and improve the nutrition of their communities.

Access to Finance

Empowering smallholder farmers with financial resources, credit and insurance to invest in their agricultural businesses and improve livelihoods.

Government Partnership & Private Sector Engagement

Collaborating with governments and businesses to create policies and market opportunities that support smallholder farmers and rural development.

Cooperative as a Business Hub

Transforming farmer cooperatives into thriving business centers that provide collective bargaining power, training, and access to better markets.

Women and Youth Empowerment

Strengthening the role of women and young people in agriculture through skills training, financial inclusion and leadership development.

Equity and Inclusion

Ensuring equal opportunities for all, including marginalized communities, by fostering inclusive economic growth and social justice.

Caring for the Earth

Promoting climate-smart agriculture, conservation and sustainable land management to protect ecosystems and combat environmental degradation.

Locally Led Development

Encouraging community-driven solutions where local farmers and cooperatives take charge of their own growth and economic sustainability.

Technology and Digital Innovation

Leveraging digital tools, precision farming, and innovative solutions to enhance agricultural efficiency, productivity, and market access.

Area of Focus

Envisioning farmer owned agri businesses to be the force of ending hunger and poverty, Heifer’s project interventions nurture, feed, develop and guide cooperatives to accelerate engagement and profitability of smallholder livestock producers in meat, dairy, vegetable and local poultry value chains. An in-depth market system analysis has surfaced ample opportunities in various stages of the selected value chain. The projects will address current bottlenecks and constraints in the market system creating additional benefits for all value chain actors.

Social Capital

Heifer’s interventions are built on social capital which strengthens both cognitive and structural dimensions.

Value Chains

Heifer Nepal works through women-only self-help groups (SHGs) to provide a safe space for women to learn, share and grow in the male-dominated society.

Market System Development

Heifer applies the market system development approach in Livestock, Dairy, Vegetable, and Local Poultry to facilitate market linkages, achieve lasting changes, and increase economic opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Social Capital

Heifer’s interventions are built on social capital which strengthens both cognitive and structural dimensions.

Value Chains

Heifer Nepal works through women-only self-help groups (SHGs) to provide a safe space for women to learn, share and grow in the male-dominated society.

Market System Development

Thematic Areas

Heifer Nepal supports women-only self-help groups (SHGs), providing a safe space where women can learn, share, and thrive in a society with traditional gender roles.
Each community includes all families in an SHG of 15-25 women, ensuring inclusion regardless of socioeconomic status, religion, or caste.