Contribución para mejorar la seguridad alimentaria (CASAH) en inglés

In response to the April 2008 hunger riots protesting the increasing cost of living, the AAI directed its food security efforts toward those households deemed most vulnerable to food crises. From bean production to road reconstruction to watershed management, all of the AAI’s initiatives are tailored to the needs of the targeted communities.

For example, with the Lagourde dam reinforcement project, more than 1,500 agricultural workers “were delivered”, in the words of one project beneficiary.

The AAI has also prioritized environmental protection in implementing these initiatives, ensuring greater watershed protection, an efficient use of water resources and agricultural practices that prevent soil erosion.

In Carice, Nord-Est department, the maintenance of ravines has managed to limit hydraulic erosion, thus protecting downstream inhabitants and crops from intense flooding. As one woman explains, water used to pose a serious threat: “We used to get a lot of flooding in areas with heavy rain. It would take down everything in its path and destroy our rice crop.”

In this case as in many others, CASAH has managed to launch an effective emergency response while maintaining a long-term perspective that recognizes the importance of environmental protection.