Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International on Ending Hunger Through Locally Led Development

In this episode, Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International, shares how one of the world’s most established development organizations is reimagining the fight against hunger and poverty through locally led, systems-based solutions.

With more than 80 years of experience and work spanning 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Heifer International partners with smallholder farmers, especially women, to build sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. The conversation explores how farmers move from subsistence to thriving producers by strengthening social capital, building profitable value chains, and creating cooperative models that unlock market access, finance, and long-term resilience.

Surita explains why women and youth are central to transforming agriculture, particularly in contexts where women face barriers to land rights, credit, and decision-making, and where young people often see farming as an unattractive future. From self-help groups and savings models to partnerships that enable mechanization and entrepreneurship, the discussion highlights how dignity, agency, and opportunity are created at the community level.

The episode also dives into the Personal Transformation Index, a data-driven framework developed with academic partners to measure confidence, leadership, decision-making, and civic engagement among farmers. The results reveal how social capital and values-based development translate into stronger livelihoods, reduced household conflict, shared decision-making, and greater participation in local governance.

Throughout the conversation, Surita reflects on the urgency of global food insecurity, the limitations of working in isolation, and the importance of long-term partnerships with governments, multilaterals, businesses, and donors. The episode closes with a powerful reminder that ending hunger is not only about food production, but about building inclusive systems where farmers are recognized as producers, leaders, and stewards of the planet.

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