5 Ways Animals Help Reduce Global Poverty

Read our full blog, "5 Ways Animals Help Reduce Global Poverty," here.

Tonight, one in ten?people around the world will go?to bed hungry.

Because of the compounding influence of climate change, conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, global hunger is on the rise: In 2021,?more than 30%?of the world's population faced moderate or severe food insecurity. Here at Heifer, we believe livestock has a really important role to play in ending global hunger and poverty. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Animals provide nutritious food.

In poor countries, many people — especially women and girls — have few high-nutrient foods like pulses, milk, meat or eggs in their diets. With animal proteins, people can get the nutrients they need quicker and with smaller amounts of food.

For children especially,?eating?animal-sourced foods and a?variety of nutritious sustenance?is one of the most direct ways to avoid the?permanent consequences ?of an insufficient diet and stop hunger from?affecting learning and future outcomes.

2.?They generate income.

Livestock products can be used in many different ways. Chicken eggs can be collected and sold. Milk from cows and goats can be turned into yogurt and cheese. With the?right training ?and?access to markets , all of these products can be sold, providing money for health care and sending kids to school.

3. They empower women in rural communities.

More than half the world’s farmers are women, but because they live in highly patriarchal countries and communities, they often don’t have control over the land they farm.

With their own incomes, women can have a say in decision-making processes in their homes and communities. Research shows that?women reinvest up to 90% of their earnings?back into their households. That’s money spent on nutrition, food, health care, school and income-generating activities that helps break the cycle of poverty.?

4. They increase access to renewable energy.

Animals produce waste —?lots of it! ?In many of the communities where we work, people don’t have access to energy. They often cook using wood fires, but chopping down trees can be bad for the environment and the smoke detrimental to human health.?Animal waste can be used to make biogas ?which can fuel stoves, giving communities a renewable source of energy for cooking and an innovative way of reducing livestock waste.

5. They help?communities build resilience.

Animal manure is?a readily available and nutrient-rich fertilizer for many smallholder farmers who grow crops alongside their?livestock. Using?animal waste?in this way helps farming families build resilience against?fluctuating costs of farming inputs, while?improving the quantity and quality of the?food they grow ?for household consumption.

As climate change makes rainfall increasingly unpredictable,?causing floods and droughts around the world, farmers have the option to?sell their animals as an additional source of income when resources are scarce or their crop harvests minimal.?Animals can provide a necessary?source of income or food to get families through an emergency period.

To read how Heifer International is improving animal well-being, read our recent article here.

Read our full blog, "5 Ways Animals Help Reduce Global Poverty," here.

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