Haiti 2017 equipe haiti mission dg alliance agricole6

Completed project

Farmer's Field Schools

Haiti

Adapting to climate change

Date

October 2016 to September 2018

Budget

$CAD 2,625,580

World Bank and Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)

Consortium partner

Alliance agricole internationale (AAI)

Composed of CECI (mandated to implement the project), SOCODEVI and UPA-Développement international.

Impact for

5.000 people

The Champs-écoles paysans project meets the objectives set out in Haiti's national plan to strengthen agricultural public services. It aims to achieve a sustainable improvement in farm incomes and food security for small-scale farmers in the Centre department.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) and the Centre Departmental Directorate were involved in the project, as were our consortium partners Société de coopération pour le développement international (SOCODEVI) and UPA-Développement international. Together, we worked to improve agricultural productivity and production with a view to a sustainable economy.

Objectives

1 / 3

Agricultural Supplies Adapted to the Local Reality

Through the distribution of vouchers giving access to agricultural services, 5,000 farmers can acquire technological packages (for soil preparation, seeds, technical assistance, etc.). MARNDR has designed these packages according to the technical itineraries of the predominant crops. The packages are then validated in a participatory manner to guarantee their appropriation.

Environment Protection

The new farming practices resulting from the implementation of these technology packages respect the environment while improving the quality of life of communities through increased income from agricultural production. In addition, farmers are made aware of the impact of climate change and are encouraged to seek strategies to mitigate its adverse effects.

Training in new cultivation practices

The democratization of new farming practices is achieved through farmer field schools (FFS), where innovative and experimental techniques are compared with traditional practices. The Alliance agricole internationale (AAI) trains 1,000 farmers by setting up 50 FFSs and providing technical support by 100 farmer facilitators for farmers who do not participate in the FFSs.

More productive crops

Helping farmers adopt new farming practices

Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the government adopted a plan to boost agricultural production and rebuild the country. The Champs-écoles paysans project supports these efforts. Technology packages support farmers by enabling them to acquire agricultural services adapted to their local reality. We also support them in their search for strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Farmers' field schools (FFS) are crops set up to enable innovative techniques to be compared with traditional practices. Over 1,000 farmers participate directly in these FFS, while another 4,000 benefit from technical support. Target crops include pigeon peas, bananas, cassava, corn, annual crops (beans, eggplants, tomatoes, onions, leeks, chillies) and combined crops (coffee, cocoa with fruit, forestry, yams, mangoes, etc.).