The food security program implemented since 2013 by the South Departmental Directorate (Funded by AFD and delegates funds from the European Union) already bearing fruit and the French Agency is already preparing new projects for the sectors cocoa, coffee and vetiver.

Rural development projects of AFD become reality :

• 20 kilometers of primary channels of Avezac irrigation system have been renovated and the work of the secondary channels have started from Monday, June 13 ;

• Producers have been supported for 5 crop years of corn and beans. They received technical advice and grants and their organization was improved. They now think about the issues of storage, marketing and promotion of their products ;

• Food security of nearly 800 farmers was improved, they produce more for themselves and for sale.

Towards the development of cocoa sectors, coffee and vetiver :

At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, AFD could finance the development of cocoa sectors, coffee and vetiver (essential oil). The context is favorable, the demand for quality products is strong, particularly from French operators willing to offer remunerative prices.

In addition, these sectors can contribute not only to improving incomes of farmers in the short term but also in the restoration of watersheds and forest cover instead of contributing to their degradation, thanks to ecological agroforestry technologies .

Note that agroforestry present co-benefits in terms of economic development, adaptation to climate change and reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture, by sequestering carbon in organic form, in soils and trees. Coffee culture goes beyond mere economic opportunity. Haiti has proposed this approach under the conditional commitments that have been taken at COP 21 climate of Paris. At the request of the Haitian authorities, the AFD will present an extension of support to the coffee sector to the Green Fund, which was established to support countries like Haiti.

HL/ HaitiLibre