Got Milk? The Impact of Heifer International's Livestock Donation Programs in Rwanda on Nutritional Outcomes

Abstract: International animal donation programs have become an increasingly
popular way for people living in developed countries to transfer resources to
families living in developing countries. We evaluate the impact of Heifer
International’s dairy cow and meat goat donation programs in Rwanda. We find
that the program substantially increases dairy and meat consumption among
Rwandan households who were given a dairy cow or a meat goat, respectively. We
also find marginally statistically significant reductions in weight-for-height z-scores
and weight-for-age z-scores of about 0.4 standard deviations among children aged
0-5 years in households that were recipients of meat goats, and reductions in heightfor-age
z-scores of about 0.5 standard deviations among children in households that
received dairy cows. Our results suggest that increasing livestock ownership in
developing countries may significantly increase consumption of nutrient dense
animal-source foods and improve nutrition outcomes.