Economic and social recovery in rural areas following the earthquake in Haiti (LRRD)

21/02/2011

One year after the earthquake, Haiti is still faced with many problems. One of the International Community’s missed opportunities during the first months of the response was not to have boosted agriculture and invested in rural areas to help them take in displaced people and create an economic counterweight to Port-au-Prince. Certain projects, such as the one run by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL on the hillsides of Petit-Goâve, which combines a response to emergency needs while trying to deal with the structural causes of food insecurity, show what is possible. 9 months on, an in-depth assessment of production systems and good knowledge of the area and the hillsides farming system have allowed the teams to establish strong links with the communities and to adapt the project over time in response to changes in the context, changing needs and changing resilience strategies.