Hatching Hope

Improving livelihoods begins with farmers

Because when farmers have what they need to thrive, their families and communities do, too.

Hatching Hope is a groundbreaking initiative equipping farmers with the tools and expertise they need to start and grow poultry businesses. It works at scale, connecting producers to markets so they can increase their incomes, while also promoting the nutritional value of eggs and meat within communities, building sustainable markets for the future.

An efficient, productive poultry farm can change everything for farmers, their families, and their communities. Created by founding partners, Heifer International and Cargill, Hatching Hope will improve the nutrition and livelihoods of 100 million people by 2030 through poultry farming and make a significant contribution towards meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Chickens and eggs are among the best and lowest-cost sources of high-quality protein, urgently needed by millions of people living in poverty. Hatching Hope’s bold approach combines Heifer’s community development experience with Cargill’s technical expertise, and follows on from a successful collaboration in China where we provided chicks, training and nutritional information to 450 women-led poultry farms.

Chickens are easy to feed and grow quickly. They deliver a rapid return on investment and provide women farmers with an important source of income that is truly transformational for their whole family.

Hatching Hope will prioritize parts of the world where both Heifer and Cargill have significant on-the-ground presence and where there are high levels of poverty and malnutrition. Activities are underway in India, Kenya and Mexico, with farmers from other countries set to join as the initiative scales up.

Agricultural training, tools and resource provided by Hatching Hope enable farmers to raise larger numbers of healthy chickens in a sustainable way, and connect with high-value markets and private sector partners. Farmers also have access to community vets – local people who work with farmers to improve animal wellbeing.

For a small fee, these local vets will vaccinate chickens, keeping the birds healthy and stopping diseases from spreading. As their businesses scale, farmers require other types of support such as good quality chicken feed and transport to take their products to market. Demand for these products and services creates additional income-generation opportunities for many more people within their communities.

Hatching Hope works closely with a network of partners that continues to expand. We work with governments, financial institutions and farmer organizations to better link poultry farmers with the resources they need to make their businesses successful and sustainable.