HAITI: IDB donates US$60M to improve the agricultural productivity of rural households

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti– The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved the US $60 million of non-reimbursable financing to improve the food security of rural households, including farmers, fishers, seafood merchants, and pastoral workers of Haiti, by promoting rural productivity and connectivity to rural markets. 

The agriculture, fisheries, and rural infrastructure activities proposed in the program will increase productivity and income while promoting the sustainable management of the critical resources on which agrarian beneficiaries depend.

The program will support farmers’ agricultural technologies through technical assistance, improving food availability through increased production, and food access through higher agrarian revenues. 

A menu of agricultural technologies has been developed based on their food security relevance, climate adaptation potential, and the environmental sustainability of different crops. 

The IDB said farmers would have the option to choose among these technological packages. This component includes actions specifically targeted to women and youth participation, with packages targeted to women’s activities in the menu.

The program will also support approximately 65 fisher and merchant associations to adopt sustainable practices that improve food security through improved productivity. 

Through its rural infrastructure component, the project aims to improve road accessibility and decrease transportation costs, production losses and increase access to markets through the rehabilitation of rural roads. It will also invest in climate-resilient public infrastructure, including fish landing infrastructure and fish markets, and technical assistance to local government and fishers’ associations to ensure sustainable operations and the proper maintenance of fishing facilities.

The IDB says the program aligns with its Vision 2025, prioritizing social inclusion and equality, productivity and innovation, economic integration, and resilience to climate change. 

The funds will be disbursed over five years, starting in 2022.