Agricultural
Haiti has been experiencing disasters and long periods of drought, which have left the country vulnerable. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) indicates that recurrent disasters, including earthquakes and floods, have exacerbated an already existing food crisis. According to Reuters, an estimated 3.7 million Haitians immediately need food assistance. This represents approximately 33% of the population. Other factors have also contributed to food insecurity, including political instability, which led to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, and an escalation in gang violence which has displaced at least 19,000 people and affected more than 1.5 million people. The country’s 46% of the population has since faced acute food insecurity, with more than 1.2 million people at the emergency level (IPC 4) and 3.2 million at the crisis level (IPC Phase 3).
The combined effects of disasters, drought, and political crisis have led to socio-economic challenges such that a significant percentage of the population may not know what to eat, even a meal a day. The United Nations has warned that if actions to restore food security in the country are not taken, the situation will worsen from the already precarious humanitarian situation. While the short-term goal is to address the food crisis through grants and donations for food distribution, there is a need to start building more sustainable solutions which will enable the millions of citizens to feed themselves.
Agriculture is a more sustainable solution for Haiti. Despite the long-term drought and soil erosion, it is possible to achieve food sustainability in the country by offering more resilient agricultural solutions. URH has resolved to help the country meet its agricultural capacity to increase food production and therefore address the food crisis.
URH’s objective is to help end hunger in Haitian by using the following strategic solutions.
Mobilization of available resources to promote agriculture and feed the people.
Haiti has resources from the community to the national level, which remain unutilized. From the department of agriculture to other not-for-profit organizations, some resources have remained idle due to the instability caused by disasters and political crises. URH intends to engage different stakeholders, both governmental and private organizations, with resources that may help build back the country’s agricultural capacity.
Organizing, mobilizing, and educating farmers and communities on more sustainable agriculture.
URH will organize community groups, including farmers, laborers, and agronomists, to discuss solutions for restoring farming. URH will consult with agricultural experts to identify more sustainable farming methods, crops, and farm preparation due to the current drought and soil erosion. The foundation will work with volunteers to create awareness of the most sustainable farming methods to ensure that farmers have yields to feed their families despite the current challenges. Besides, URH will partner with seed experts to identify which crops can give yields with the current conditions. The foundation will help farmers address erosion problems by changing their farm landscapes. For instance, planting grass and building trenches can prevent flooding and erosion on their farms. URH will mobilize equipment to help farmers in these tasks.
Getting the youth involved.
The youths are the most productive part of every population, especially in farming. This is because they have the energy to cultivate and harvest. Given the high number of young people in the country, it is possible to restore the agricultural capacity and feed the whole nation. URH will therefore involve the youth in this program and encourage each family unit to be represented in the education and implementation of the program
