St. Pierre parish,
Baradères, Haiti
Sister parish of St. John the Baptist, Silver
Spring, Md.
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Index to Report |
Haiti—Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture
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1. Country and Sector Background |
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is suffering a rapid deterioration of its natural resource base. With a population of 7 million inhabitants on about 28,000 km2 (one-third the area of the island of Hispaniola), Haiti has the highest population density in the Western Hemisphere. The social indicators for Haiti are among the worst in the region. Poverty has its roots in a history of government mismanagement, and control of the economy by a powerful elite. In the aftermath of a coup d'‚tat in September 1991 which forced out the first elected president after 30 years of dictatorship, Haiti experienced a dramatic deterioration of economic and social conditions. Three years of military dictatorship (1991-1994) led to increasing economic mismanagement and an international embargo, resulting in a decline of about 30 percent of GDP (1992-1994), a decline in the health and nutritional status of children about half of which now have caloric intakes below 75 percent of requirements, and an increase in infant mortality now estimated to have exceeded 100 per 1,000 live births. Agricultural production declined by about 17 percent between 1991 and 1994, due to the embargo's effect on imported inputs (seeds, fuel), the deterioration of rural infrastructure (roads, irrigation canals), and continuing land degradation. The decline affected both subsistence and cash crops, and food self-sufficiency decreased from 70 percent in 1986 to 50 percent now. Aggressive tropical rains have accelerated degradation of vegetative cover and cultivated areas, and have resulted in flooding, deeper ravines and soil loss and pushed farmers to step up already very high rates of deforestation to diversify sources of revenue. It is estimated that 60 percent of existing roads need urgent repairs. Over three-quarters of the country's population is engaged in agriculture as small- holders, tenants, agricultural laborers, or rural off-farm workers. Throughout the history of Haiti, most farmers have never benefited from agricultural support services, such as new land technologies, market information, plant material, credit, or training of any type. Because of the high population density and dearth of rich agricultural land, rural infrastructure and access to support services, and in the absence of interventions to stem environmental degradation, small plots and environmental constraints are forcing part of the rural population to depend less on agriculture, and more on economic emigration and off-farm rural employment. The demise of agricultural production since the 1970s, therefore, has had a prolonged impact on the welfare of the rural population. For this reason, agricultural reactivation and support for spin-off income generation activities are essential to reducing rural poverty, slowing the tide of rural exodus, and forestalling further environmental damage. Haiti's democratically-elected government was restored in 1994 and new elections were held at the end of 1995. Before 1994, Haiti did not service its external debt and IDA suspended its operations. Upon payments of arrears to the Bank in 1994, the Bank resumed activities in Haiti. IDA's interventions as part of a large-scale international effort, center around three major axes: (i) addressing poverty and improving social services; (ii) rebuilding and redirecting the public sector; and (iii) laying the base for sustainable growth. Together with the Country Assistance Strategy, a Forest and Parks Protection Technical Assistance Project (FPPTAP)(total cost of US$22.5 million) was approved in September 1996 to provide institutional support to develop, monitor, and enforce a national and parks protection system and initiate key activities for the protection of critical ecosystems in the three project areas. The Forest and Parks Protection Project is piloting many innovations important for the rural sector, including a demand- driven rural investment fund, a demand-driven agricultural research fund, government financing coordination of agricultural services provided by NGOs, and enabling local peasant organizations to actively participate in the planning and execution of agricultural development activities. The Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture Project will build and extend these pilot approaches and mechanisms.
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2. Objectives |
The overall objective of the project is to assist the Government of Haiti in improving the quality and delivery of agricultural research, extension, and training services to the rural sector. The three specific objectives of the project are to:
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3. Description |
The Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) dated August 13, 1996 recognizes that: "with two-thirds of the country's labor force being employed in the rural sector, an overall growth strategy will need to include a strategy for sustainable agricultural growth, with a particular focus on the majority of small holders who have little access to financing or services". The CAS also emphasizes the need for:
The proposed project will assist the Government of Haiti in formulating and implementing a coherent national agricultural development policy that is environmentally sound, and which improves food security, agricultural growth, and sustainable natural resource management through provision of improved agricultural support services and targeted investments to small farmer community organizations throughout the country. Two of the three proposed components are extensions of activities already initiated under the Forest and Parks Protection Technical Assistance Project. The project's thrust would be on sustainable intensification of farming systems while establishing links to off-farm rural activities. Emphasis would be on a participatory approach with local communities to test and develop more productive and environmentally sound farming systems. The project would work mainly through local government staff, local agencies, and NGOs involved in the rural sector to reach its target group of farmers. The project would achieve its objectives by financing incremental staff costs, operating costs, vehicles, and equipment, civil works, training and technical assistance within the following three components: —Institutional development for strengthening the National Agricultural Research Training and Development (ART&D) system and support to local organizations. Activities will include:
—Financial support for rural community-based initiatives identified in collaboration with the regional ART&D centers and during the preparation of regional and local development plans. Under this component, a mechanism would be established to finance:
—Project Coordination. Technical and financial support would be provided for overall project management and coordination, project monitoring and evaluation, support for project implementation in the field, carry out donor coordination, and beneficiary assessments and consensus building through consultation with beneficiaries and the public, private, and NGO community.
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4. Financing |
The estimated cost of the project is US$16.5 million, of which US$15 million would be financed by an IDA credit, US$1 million by the Government of Haiti, and US$.5 million by community groups via in-kind contributions. The Government has received a PHRD Grant of US$956,000 to assist in project preparation.
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5. Implementation |
The Ministry of Agriculture would implement the project in collaboration with farmers groups, local governments, private entities and NGOs. More specifically, the Ministry's Center for Agricultural Research and Documentation and the Ministry's Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, in concert with the Departmental Directorates (DDAs), would execute the first component and it is possible that FAES would possibly be contracted to provide fiduciary services to execute the second component. The Coordination Unit would fall under the direction of the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture. MAG would contract with private services providers. Performance-based contracts and competition among private entities and NGOs would be used to improve efficiency in delivering agricultural support services. To ensure responsiveness of the program, and ownership, thus long-term sustainability of the program, farmer participation through rapid rural appraisals, regular consultations, and local committees will be central for designing and monitoring project implementation.
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6. Sustainability |
To ensure responsiveness, ownership, and thus long-term sustainability of the program, farmer participation through rapid rural appraisals, regular consultations, and local committees will be central to designing and monitoring project implementation.
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7. Lessons learned from past operations in the country/sector |
Lessons learned from experience in rural development suggest that to make rural development interventions both welcome and sustainable in rural areas, they must be based on a more participatory approach for technology development and dissemination. Such an approach should include an agenda for formulating participatory development strategies using both farmer-based traditional innovations and selective external inputs to improve and diversify rural incomes, conserve water and soils, and expand labor opportunities in agricultural areas. Designing and implementing such an agenda requires the cooperation of public agencies, civil society, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and the regional and international technical and scientific communities. Lessons learned from experience implementing the on-going FPPTAP will also be applied.
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8. Poverty Category |
The project would be included in the Program of Targeted Interventions and would aim to alleviate poverty by:
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9. Environmental Aspects |
The project has been approved as Environmental Assessment Category B. It would enhance environmental quality by improving land and water management in a more sustainable way.
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10. Program Objective Categories |
Most project activities and benefits would be related to:
Therefore, the project would be designated under the Program Objective Categories of: (a) Poverty Reduction, (b) Public Sector Reform, and (c) Sustainable Growth.
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11. Contact Point: |
The InfoShop Note: This is information on an evolving project. Certain activities and/or components may not be included in the final project. Processed by the InfoShop week ending August 14, 1998.
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Report details |
Report No. PID6722
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