Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean, has long faced extreme rural poverty and acute food insecurity, with 27 percent of rural farmers living in extreme poverty. Agriculture, the primary source of income for these communities, has suffered from chronic under-investment, unsustainable farming practices, and the cumulative impacts of natural disasters. Land pressure, low education levels, and economic hardship have accelerated deforestation and degraded watersheds, undermining the productive base and worsening vulnerability to climate shocks.
The project aimed to transform these challenges by promoting sustainable landscape management, climate-resilient agriculture, and disaster risk reduction. Over 4,200 farmers, including 38 percent women, adopted improved agricultural technologies, with more than 80 percent gaining better access to markets. Approximately 2,050 hectares came under sustainable landscape management, while four sub-watersheds developed participatory management plans. A spatial decision support tool was applied to nearly 22,000 hectares to help manage climatic risks, and 112 farmer field schools trained 2,800 farmers in improved agricultural practices and soil management.
Additional interventions included 20 matching grants that benefited over 1,500 farmers, 50 water tanks serving 250 vulnerable households, and urgent provision of inputs and services to 137,611 farmers after the 2021 earthquake, including nearly 21,000 provided with climate-resilient crop varieties. The project emphasized community participation, using subsidy schemes and farmer field schools to teach climate-smart production and landscape management practices, generating sustainable incomes while protecting against floods, landslides, and soil erosion.
The initiative contributed to poverty reduction, climate action, and job creation. Twenty sub-projects improved access to finance for smallholders, enhanced production quality, and strengthened market linkages. Temporary employment opportunities were created for 6,667 farmers through agricultural incentives and 168 jobs in farmer field schools, supporting both livelihoods and community engagement. Rehabilitation of irrigation systems, damaged by Hurricane Matthew and the 2021 earthquake, restored water access, allowing farmers to significantly increase crop yields.
Key lessons highlight the importance of integrating agricultural and environmental planning, investing in environmental resilience, creating climate-smart economic opportunities, and involving communities in watershed protection. Flexibility and rapid response mechanisms were critical to navigate Haiti’s fragility, shaped by climate change, natural hazards, political instability, and economic shocks.
Looking ahead, the Government of Haiti, with World Bank support, continues to implement the Emergency Resilient Agriculture for Food Security Project (PARSA) and TPR II. These operations focus on boosting productivity, enhancing rural livelihoods, and improving food security while promoting climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management, and job creation. Through these ongoing efforts, Haiti aims to build resilience for vulnerable communities against persistent political, economic, and environmental challenges.
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