The Challenge
Even before the January 12, 2010, earthquake, Haiti faced significant challenges to food security. Declining productivity and farm incomes led to malnourishment and urban migration. Prior to the earthquake, 40 percent of households were undernourished and 30 percent of children suffered from chronic malnutrition. While approximately 60 percent of Haitians worked in agriculture, more than 50 percent of the food consumed in Haiti was imported.
USG Strategy
Agriculture and food security is one of the four priority sectors of U.S. Government (USG) development investment. The USG’s Feed the Future initiative is supporting the Haitian government’s priorities in agriculture, working to ensure sustainable growth in the agricultural sector in Government of Haiti (GOH)-prioritized fertile plains. The USG is working with farmers, farmer associations, and scientists to introduce new techniques and technologies, strengthen agricultural infrastructure along the whole value chain, and attract investments from private businesses―with an overall aim to improve livelihoods for more than 100,000 farmer households, corresponding to 8-10 percent of the rural population. This investment will not only lead to nutritional improvements in the population, but also improve the lives of farmers benefitting from increased crop yields and incomes.
Accomplishments
Despite the challenges, the USG has made significant accomplishments since the earthquake in ensuring the food security of the Haitian people. Since the earthquake, USG assistance has: