Heifer Netherlands

Heifer Netherlands

Project country: Guatemala

Heifer Netherlands is part of the global Heifer network, an organisation founded in 1944 with a mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. Through locally led programmes in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Heifer supports smallholder farmers to achieve sustainable living incomes, strengthen food security, and build climate resilience. Its approach combines technical assistance, market access, and inclusive value chains, empowering women, youth, and indigenous communities to thrive. To date, Heifer has supported more than 52 million households worldwide and aims to reach an additional 10 million by 2030.

In 2025-2026, the Eurofins Foundation is supporting the project “Water4Life – Climate-Resilient Irrigation for Smallholder Farmers in Alta Verapaz.”

In recent years, Guatemala has faced increasingly severe impacts from climate change, with longer dry summers yet heavier rains in the wet season. In the region of Alta Verapaz, these weather patterns are directly damaging and threatening the cultivation of cardamom and other high-value spices, which are the primary source of income for local smallholder farmers and their families.

Over the past three years, with support from Heifer Netherlands, these farmers have managed to build their farming businesses and made significant progress by investing in sustainable agroforestry systems in their plots. However, the accelerating effects of climate change now put these hard-won gains at serious risk. In 2024, Guatemala experienced the longest and most severe drought in over 30 years. Water for agriculture is therefore becoming a critical issue.

The Water4Life (W4L) project pilots climate-resilient irrigation solutions for smallholder spice farmers in Alta Verapaz, within the broader Green Business Belt programme. W4L will equip 10 selected farmers with rainwater catchment systems and one system at community level. Together with farmer organisations, W4L will construct irrigation systems at 10 different agroforestry plots (tropical rainforest fields combined with cash crops like maize, coffee, etc.). Farmers will be trained in using and maintaining the systems and interpreting data on water availability and crop performance.

Beyond piloting at farmer level, W4L also explores opportunities at community centres in Cahabón. Here the system will be demonstrated, reaching more farmers across three municipalities. This W4L initiative serves as proof of concept, paving the way for future scale-up and unlocking more investment. By improving water security and production resilience, W4L empowers families to adapt to climate change and safeguard their agricultural future.

This project contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals