Could you please explain the concept of sustainable farming and the role of smallholder farmers in it?
Sustainable farming is an agricultural approach that balances food production with preserving natural resources, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and securing food and nutritional needs for future generations. At its core, sustainable farming is about creating systems that meet the growing food and nutritional demands of today and tomorrow while delivering positive outcomes for people, profit, and the planet. Core practices include regenerative agriculture, farm waste management, water conservation, integrated pest management, and biodiversity enhancement.
Smallholder farmers, especially in Asia, play a pivotal role in sustainable farming. As the backbone of agricultural production, they significantly contribute to food security and rural economies. Their deep understanding of local ecosystems and ability to adopt regenerative or natural practices make them ideal stewards of sustainable farming methods.
At Heifer International, we collaborate closely with smallholder farmers in Asia to equip them with the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to transition to sustainable farming systems. Our ‘Caring for the Earth’ approach anchors climate-smart, environmentally friendly practices in our programs, reaching millions of farmers annually. We support smallholder farmers to sustainably improve their livelihoods while enhancing economic and climate resilience thereby boosting food production, enriching soil, preserving ecosystems, and reducing waste.
Heifer International has been working in Nepal for over two decades. Could you share the impact of its projects and the changes the organization has brought to farmers’ lives?
Heifer International has been working in Nepal for over two decades, promoting resilience and sustainable development in rural communities. Agriculture, which supports nearly 80% of households and 66% of the labor force, is crucial to the country’s economy. However, challenges like caste-based discrimination, gender inequality, small landholdings, inadequate irrigation, and the impacts of climate change continue to hinder progress.
As of FY 2024, Heifer Nepal has supported 400,000 smallholder farmers, forming 295 cooperatives. Our Values-Based Holistic Community Development model fosters total community transformation, not just livelihood improvements. Through Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, we help communities empower themselves to build values like sharing and caring, accountability, and justice. These trainings help women gain leadership skills, build confidence, and emerge as decision-makers, leaders in self-help groups, cooperatives and communities, and contributors to community development.
Women, who make up 95% of our program participants, play a critical role in agriculture. Heifer’s approach promotes women’s leadership in cooperatives, strengthening community structures and enabling collective action on issues like environmental degradation, water scarcity, disease control, access to finance and market access. Women’s involvement in group savings and lending empowers them to invest in livestock and agricultural enterprises, improving household incomes.
As a result of economic empowerment, women’s decision-making power has increased within families and communities, challenging traditional gender roles and promoting gender equity. As women’s incomes rise, they invest in education, healthcare, and community development, creating a ripple effect that benefits entire communities.
In addition to our grassroots work, Heifer has forged partnerships with the government of Nepal to ensure the sustainability of its programs. We advocate for better policies, fair market prices, and sustainable food systems for smallholder farmers. By collaborating with government bodies, local NGOs, and the private sector, we help create an enabling environment for long-term growth and prosperity, ensuring smallholder farmers have access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
Heifer Nepal’s programs—such as The Milky Way, Strengthening Smallholder Livestock Value Chains, and Value Chains for Inclusive Transformation of Agriculture—focus on improving technical skills, market access, and financial inclusion, particularly for women. With an emphasis on sustainable farming, environmental stewardship, and gender equity, these programs create long-term, positive impacts for rural communities.
One of the biggest challenges for smallholder farmers is securing a fair price and finding markets for their produce. What is Heifer International doing to support them in this regard?
Smallholder farmers face significant challenges in securing fair prices and reliable markets for their produce. With limited access to market information, inadequate bargaining power, and the dominance of intermediaries, many farmers are forced to sell at prices far below the true value of their goods.
Compounding these issues are systemic barriers, such as insufficient infrastructure, fragmented supply chains, and a lack of supportive policies, which further isolate smallholders from formalized markets. Besides, access to finance also remains a critical barrier to establishing or expanding agricultural enterprises. These challenges not only hinder their ability to earn a sustainable income but also perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality in rural communities.
Heifer International in Asia addresses this by strengthening inclusive value chains that integrate smallholders into formalized market systems. We facilitate farmers to access resources, technology, and networks essential for competing in today’s economy. We provide training in production and business skills, strengthen value chains through infrastructure investments, and ensure access to financial services like micro-loans and insurance.
Central to this approach is the formation of locally-led self-help groups and cooperatives. These collectives empower farmers, especially women and youth, by creating platforms for knowledge sharing, financial training, and access to finance and markets. Working collectively allows farmers to achieve economies of scale, improving their market access and bargaining power. They can negotiate better terms with buyers and build partnerships with the private sector.
Intensive farming and sustainable farming are both crucial—one to provide nutrition for the 8 billion people on the planet, and the other to ensure the planet’s long-term health. What is your opinion on both practices?
Traditional methods of agriculture and livestock farming have contributed significantly to feeding the world’s growing population, but their environmental costs—carbon emissions, deforestation, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity-are unsustainable. Therefore, we must transition to sustainable farming and livestock practices. Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. We are at the forefront of supporting smallholder farmers towards regenerative agriculture and adopting climate-smart practices while enhancing productivity and resilience.
In Nepal, Heifer has introduced climate-adaptive measures like resilient livestock sheds and extensive fodder cultivation. This ensures year-round feed availability, reducing overgrazing and preventing land degradation. Farmers are adopting stall-feeding systems that replace traditional grazing with high-biomass, nutrient-rich fodder crops, improving soil fertility, and optimizing land use. In hilly regions prone to water scarcity, Heifer supports the construction of soil-cement ponds managed by farmer collectives. These ponds harvest rainwater and stream water, ensuring a steady supply for livestock and crops during dry seasons.
Farmers in Cambodia are leveraging solar energy to operate vegetable tunnel farms, incubators, irrigation systems, and cold storage facilities. This innovation has opened new opportunities for farmers in off-grid areas while eliminating the need for fuel-based generators, reducing both costs and carbon emissions. In Bangladesh, biogas systems have successfully replaced traditional cooking fuels, while the slurry by-product is used as a natural fertilizer or sold in markets, reducing reliance on chemical inputs.
In India, Heifer supports women farmers learn regenerative practices like organic farming and zero tillage through Farmer Field Schools. Scaling these practices often begins with demonstration plots managed by lead farmers, showcasing the tangible benefits of climate-smart and regenerative agriculture. These tangible success stories inspire broader adoption within communities.
However, food wastage is a significant challenge we face. One-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted—often due to inadequate post-harvest handling and consumer preferences for aesthetically “perfect” food. Heifer addresses on-farm losses by improving storage and handling practices while actively raising consumer awareness. As we discuss sustainable farming, it is equally crucial to emphasize the role of consumer behavior in promoting sustainable consumption.
Lastly, how do you see the future of smallholder farming in the next 10 years?
In the next 10 years, smallholder farming has immense potential as the world recognizes the critical role smallholders play in food security, biodiversity, and combating climate change. However, realizing this potential requires a shift toward more sustainable and inclusive agricultural practices. At Heifer, we believe smallholder farmers will lead the global movement toward regenerative agriculture. By adopting practices such as agroecology, organic farming, and diversified systems, smallholders can increase productivity while protecting the environment. Through climate-smart agriculture, women-led cooperatives, and innovative technologies, we envision farmers building resilience against climate change, improving soil health, and promoting biodiversity.
Access to training, resources, and financial support is key to shifting smallholders away from unsustainable practices. With climate-resilient crops, water-saving technologies, and organic fertilizers, farmers can help reduce carbon emissions from the agricultural sector. Through technology and innovation, farmers will tap into new markets, boosting their income and livelihoods. Financial inclusion will improve through partnerships that make loans and investments more accessible, enabling smallholders to scale their agri enterprises.
At Heifer, we are committed to helping millions of smallholder farmer families achieve a sustainable living income. But we cannot do it alone. We call upon diverse actors and multi-stakeholder collaborations to unite in support of smallholders, addressing the challenges of poverty, hunger, and climate change. By working together, we can create lasting change for communities, economies, and the future of food systems worldwide.
