Caring for the Earth

At Heifer, Caring for the Earth is central to our mission. Through our Caring for the Earth (C4E) Strategy, we promote environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and regenerative agriculture to create lasting impact for farming communities and the planet.

Why It Matters

Smallholder farmers are both vulnerable to climate change and key to addressing it. Environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and shifting weather patterns threaten livelihoods and food systems. By prioritizing climate-smart, people- and nature-positive approaches, we help farmers adapt, protect natural resources, and build long-term resilience.

Our Strategy

Heifer’s C4E Strategy provides a clear framework to integrate environmental goals into every stage of our programming. It focuses on three core pathways:

Resilience: Helping communities adapt to climate and environmental shocks
Sustainable Production: Growing safe, nutritious food with minimal environmental impact

Ecosystem Regeneration: Restoring soil, water, air, and biodiversity that support life

Regenerative Agriculture at the Core

Rooted in regenerative agriculture principles, our programs support healthy ecosystems and farmer well-being. We use context-appropriate methods including agroecology, organic production, One Health, and climate-smart agriculture tailored to local needs.

We promote five categories of climate-smart practices:

Weather-smart: Managing climate risks

Carbon/nutrient-smart: Enhancing soil and reducing emissions

Water-smart: Conserving and accessing clean water

Seed/breed-smart: Using resilient crops and livestock

Market-smart: Strengthening access to fair, inclusive markets

Turning Strategy into Action.

With a set of 29 environmental indicators, tools for program evaluation, and a roadmap for climate-focused funding, the C4E Strategy ensures measurable, scalable impact. It positions Heifer and the farmers we serve as leaders in building sustainable food systems and a healthier planet.

When we invest in small-holder farmers, we invest in the Earth’s future.

Caring for the Earth