Haiti Task Force Follow-Up Report. Board for International Food and Agriculture Development October 16, 2012 Hon. Marty McVey and Elsa A.

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1 Haiti Task Force Follow-Up Report Board for International Food and Agriculture Development October 16, 2012 Hon. Marty McVey and Elsa A. Murano

2 Beautiful Haiti People 9.7 million Descendants of Central Africa also mixed with Europeans Language Haitian Creole and French Landmass 10.7K sq. mil (Massachusetts)

3 Why Can t Haiti Catch a Break? Location Strategic, desirable for large nations to control, on a fault line and in direct path of hurricanes Leadership Past leaders who would not leave office and who would use the country and its assets for personal gain Legacy Only nation of slaves to free itself but which had to become indebted for generations to gain recognition Land Fertile and desirable for large plantations, which took away ability of individual farms to thrive

4 The Earthquake of 2010 January 12, 2010 ~250,000 killed Almost a million homeless Cholera outbreak a few months later Foreign aid pledged in the US$billions

5 Prior to The Earthquake of 2010 Decades of mismanagement, natural disasters, and indebtedness

6 Prior to The Earthquake of 2010 USAID funded food and agriculture projects from 1980s to 2010: Lacked continuity Lacked coordination between programs Lacked integration of research and extension Lacked support for and inclusion of Haitian universities Lacked inclusion of Haitian government

7 Immediately After the Earthquake BIFAD established Haiti Task Force Task Force conducted workshop in April, 2010 with retired expats and those working in U.S. land-grant universities Task Force members visited Haiti in May, 2010 Drafted recommendations to USAID

8 BIFAD Recommendations Jan 2011 Develop a long-term integrated research and extension plan Include Haitian government in all phases of the plan Enhance coordination of activities among all projects Leverage activities to include partnerships with other stakeholders Improve accountability through M&E of projects Implement through third-party independent consortium led by U.S. agriculture universities

9 BIFAD Follow-up Visit September 2012 Some visible progress, but

10 BIFAD Follow-up Visit September 2012 Visit with National University of Haiti Some new construction Faculty with necessary background and eager to engage industry BUT: Students still learning under a tent Still very little support from government Still no presence outside of Port-Au-Prince

11 BIFAD Follow-up Visit September 2012 Crop production project Greenhouse & irrigation demonstrations Farmer training onsite Plant diagnostic lab services Planting of trees on hillsides BUT: Greenhouses cost $3,500 Farmers have little access to credit Limited access to irrigation water Farmers will become the trainers?

12 BIFAD Follow-up Visit September 2012 Watershed rehabilitation project Town has water Water is not potable

13 BIFAD Follow-up Visit September 2012 Rice production project Federation of farmers Instruction on production practices Rice mills BUT: 40% of rice broken market is relief feeding programs, no exports High tariffs on equipment and other inputs Federation not like a cooperative

14 World Bank 2012 Report

15 Five Key Elements for Success Farmers must have access to credit Policy that gives them legal status Farmers must be independent Policy that facilitates forming cooperatives First-movers must be incentivized Policy that freezes tariffs on inputs for a time Export markets must be sought Opportunities for value addition on competitive products Plan must be long-term and integrated Research and education that engages Haitian universities, training that engages the MOA, Must include entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship

16 Hope for the Future New president of Haiti, Michel Martelly elected in April, 2011 Populist Slow start with Parliament New U.S. Ambassador, Pam White, took over post in August, 2012 Sense of urgency Intolerance of failure BIFAD sent report to Administrator this month