Prajakta Koli joins Heifer International campaign for women farmers

Prajakta Koli has become the ambassador for Heifer International’s campaign spotlighting women farmers as the UN marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer. The effort will roll out across Asia and includes a documentary series, with the first Nepal episode set for July 6. Why it matters: - Women produce up to 80% of food in many developing countries, yet they still face barriers to markets, finance, training and decision-making. - Heifer International says equal access to resources could raise farm yields enough to feed an additional 100 million to 150 million people. - The campaign aims to make women farmers more visible to governments, funders and NGOs that shape rural investment. What happened: - Prajakta Koli joined Heifer International as ambassador for the “She Has A Story to Tell, Are You Listening?” campaign. - The campaign is tied to the UN’s International Year of the Woman Farmer. - Heifer wants Koli to help spotlight the experiences, resilience and stories of women farmers across Asia. - Heifer International launched the global campaign in March with a virtual event featuring women farmers from Kenya and Ecuador. - The launch was timed to International Women’s Day. - Heifer later held a regional Asia launch featuring women farmers from Nepal and Cambodia. - An Earth Day event included women farmers from Africa. The details: - Koli is a Bollywood actor, creator, best-selling author and activist. - Koli is also UN Development Programme India’s first Youth Climate Champion. - Koli sits on the advisory group for the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers. - Koli has more than 8.5 million followers on Instagram and more than 7.25 million subscribers on YouTube. - Neena Joshi, Senior Vice President for Asia Programs at Heifer International, said the organization wants more people to understand the everyday realities, challenges and contributions of women farmers across Asia. - Heifer’s campaign highlights women who feed millions, care for the Earth and contribute to national economies. - Heifer produced a documentary series with CNN-News18 called “Day in the Life of a Woman Farmer.” - The series includes episodes from Nepal, India and Cambodia. - The first episode, from Nepal and featuring Koli, will be released on July 6. - As of 2024, two thirds of participants in Heifer projects were women. - Women-led livestock initiatives in Rwanda have doubled milk production. - More than 5,500 women in Bangladesh have received training in climate-smart agriculture. - Women in an egg cooperative in Mexico increased their household income contribution by an average of 12% and reached 100% participation in financial decision-making on their farms. - Heifer International has worked in India since 1955. - Heifer supports women farmers through self-help groups and cooperatives. - The Odisha Sustainable Livelihood Development Project includes 30,000 smallholder women goat farmers. - The Odisha project provides technical and business support to improve access to markets, credit and specialized agriculture services. - Heifer says the support helps farmers expand their enterprises and increase profits. Between the lines: - The campaign pairs a high-profile creator with a development organization to translate a longstanding food-systems issue into a mainstream audience. - The focus on storytelling suggests Heifer is trying to shift women farmers from an overlooked labor force to visible economic actors. - The India tie-in strengthens the message for South Asian audiences, where Heifer already has deep field presence. What’s next: - Heifer plans to release the first Nepal episode of the documentary series on July 6. - The broader campaign will continue using events and media partnerships to elevate women farmers’ voices across Asia. - Heifer’s India programs are likely to remain a key part of the organization’s women-farmer strategy.