Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural Health Food and nutrition security Knowledge management

IICA, USDA and Postgraduate College of Mexico collaborate to improve post-harvest capacities in Haiti

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Joint action carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Haiti.

Haití, August 24, 2011 (IICA). Thirty-five (35) professionals from the agricultural sector in Haiti improved their knowledge of fruit conservation and the use of post-harvest technologies, thanks to an alliance between the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Postgraduate College of Mexico and the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of Haiti.

Training for the Haitian professionals was carried out in two phases, one theoretical, and the other practical.

This initiative forms part of the efforts to revive agriculture in Haiti following the earthquake of January 2010, and is one aspect of the project entitled “Promotion and Development of Capacities for Sustainable and Competitive Agriculture in Haiti.” 

“One of the main problems facing agriculture in Haití is post-harvest losses. We need to improve the conditions that will lead to better marketing of products, in order to achieve food security,” declared Alfredo Mena, IICA Representative to Haiti.

Training for the Haitian professionals was carried out in two phases, one theoretical, on August 17 and 18 at the Karibe Convention Centre, and the other practical, on August 19, at the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Sciences.

The participants, drawn from the public and private sectors, acquired techniques relating to ripening, aging, conservation, storage and packaging of fruit. They also learnt how to assess the impact of a new initiative in the sector aimed at regulating fruit conservation in order to reduce post-harvest losses.

The inauguration session of the seminar was attended by high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ambassador of Mexico in Haiti and the representative of the USDA in that country.

The USDA, through its Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), has implemented various concrete initiatives to assist the Haitian government in its reconstruction of the agricultural sector.

The Postgraduate College of Mexico was founded in 1979 to carry out postgraduate instruction and research and offer technical services and assistance in the agricultural and forestry domain.

For more information, contact:
alfredo.mena@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Buenos Aires, Argentina

April 23, 2025

Addressing future diplomats of Argentina’s Foreign Service, IICA Director General underscores the strategic value of the region’s agriculture sector and its key role for global food security

While on official mission in Argentina’s capital, Otero was invited to deliver a keynote speech at ISEN before a large and distinguished audience. He provided a detailed assessment of the challenges facing agriculture in the world and the opportunities for Argentina and other Latin American countries, in light of demands for accessible, high quality food by a growing population as well as the uncertainties posed by the current geopolitical context.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

April 21, 2025

Dawn Francis, sustainable agriculture and organic farming advocate and a model for small farmers in her native Dominica, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Francis founded her own organization, EcoBalance Inc., which has organized training programs for farmers and implemented plans for equipment acquisition in the region. It also established a biodiversity center to teach primary and secondary students about agriculture and the environment.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

São Paulo, Brazil

April 10, 2025

Key players from the sustainable aviation fuel sector, addressing the Latin American Congress, maintained that if the region establishes clear rules, it has the potential to lead the world in SAF

The Americas has the potential to become a global leader in supplying sustainable aviation fuels, although to do so, it will need to establish clear rules and to harmonize its sustainability criteria governing the raw materials used, ensuring that processes are certifiable and science-based.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins