Improving Livelihoods and Access to Food in Northwest Haiti

Though more than half of Haiti’s population works in agriculture, much of the country’s food is imported. Recurrent poverty, political turmoil and natural disasters make farming a challenge. Haiti is of the most food insecure countries in the world based on the poor availability, affordability, and safety of the food supply. One in five children suffers from chronic malnutrition. Food Insecurity in Haiti has reached crisis levels due to a lack of rain and skyrocketing prices for food staples like maize and beans, particularly in the country’s Northwest. In late 2014, the American Red Cross launched a program in Haiti with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), Heifer International and the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA). Ongoing through 2017, the “Strengthening and Improving Livelihoods” program will increase food security in the communities of Citerne Rémy and Mahotière in Northwest Haiti. These areas struggle with drought and environmental degradation. Outdated farming practices and limited infrastructure also hinder efforts to make a profit on locally produced crops. The goal is to boost local knowledge about nutrition, increase the availability of food for consumption and sale and to diversify income-generation activities. Over the next two years, with funding from the American Red Cross, PADF and partners will work with thousands of community members to create bio-intensive gardens for vulnerable families, improve irrigation systems, and establish several goat breeding centers. By passing on new techniques and trades, the goal is to give Haitian farmers the tools to build a sustainable livelihood.