Over the years, Haiti has been affected by extreme environmental events and natural disasters which continue to threaten its food security as well as physical and social infrastructure.
Over the years, Haiti has been affected by extreme environmental events and natural disasters which continue to threaten its food security as well as physical and social infrastructure.
In 2011, the Canadian Government responded favourably to a project proposal advanced by IICA to address identified weaknesses in the agricultural sector and to stimulate opportunities for increased resilience in a comprehensive, holistic manner. A consortium comprising Desjardins Developpement International (DID), La Financiere Agricole du Quebec Developpement International (FADQDI) and IICA implemented the project which provided financial, risk management and technical interventions respectively. Since its inception, the project also attracted funds from the Swiss Confederation and Agence francaise de developpement (AFD). Scheduled to run for 7 years, the main components of the project involve the establishment of a revolving loan system, making agricultural finances accessible to small farmers and an insurance system tailored specifically for the agricultural sector. Technical training in the production of various crops e.g. – banana, rice, vegetables, mango, corn, cocoa, coffee and yam, poultry farming was provided by IICA. As the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Haiti is a critical participant in the project, IICA has also been coordinating efforts with each appointed Minister over the years. Overall, the goal is to have a more efficient system with more effective management of the two national guarantee and insurance funds. The Delegation of IICA in Haiti has been instrumental in the following areas:
- Technical support to Agroentrepreneurs who receive personalized assistance from the trained professionals, Conseillers en Techniques de Gestion (CTG)(Management Techniques Advisors). This is designed to stimulate behavioral changes and the adoption of suitable technological packages for the country.
- Institutionalization of technical support. Supporting the Ministry of Agriculture to integrate the CTG in the Ministry’s portfolio.
- Support to the Ministry of Agriculture in implementing a new legal framework and a national policy on agricultural finance and insurance in Haiti.
Recent (unrelated) announcements indicate that Société de coopération pour le développement international (SOCODEVI) has assumed the role of FADQDI in the project and the project timeline will be extended for another year. IICA Delegation in Canada looks forward to long-lasting impacts from this innovative partnership.
For more information:
Audia Barnett
audia.barnett@iica.int
