Since the election of Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in June 2019, a whole series of new initiatives have been undertaken with a view to make the mandate of the Organisation more effective for the benefit of the populations of the Member States, especially those in developing countries facing major challenges in terms of agricultural production and food security.

Among these new actions is the "Hand-in-Hand" program which targets five priority countries at the global level of which Haiti is one of the beneficiaries.

"Hand-in-Hand" proposes in particular to help reduce extreme poverty, eradicate hunger, improve nutrition, increase agricultural productivity and improve the standard of living of rural people. To achieve optimal results, FAO is based on an approach that integrates innovations, financing, investments and institutional reform. It proposes to use technological means, in particular geospatial modeling and advanced analytical techniques, in order to implement actions adapted to the needs and context of vulnerable rural communities by significantly improving their living conditions.

Among the priority countries of the Initiative, Haiti is in the category of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). FAO seeks to support Haitian agricultural households living in rural areas in improving their net income and generating the revenue necessary for public investment, which will help lay the social, environmental and climatic foundations for sustainable development.

In Haiti, the process of implementing the "Hand-in-Hand" Program began through a series of actions undertaken during the first half of 2020. Information sessions were carried out by José Luis Fernández, FAO Representative - Haiti to the attention of the Prime Minister, Joseph Jouthe, and Ministers Patricx Sévère (Agriculture) and Abner Septembre (Environment).

The first concrete actions have started in the South-East department as part of the process of creating the Alliance for the Promotion of Food and Nutrition Security (PROSAN) in co-leadership and with the support of the Spanish Development Agency. International (AECID).

This Alliance includes three national NGOs, FAO, local authorities, representatives of decentralized State services and AECID. An initial portfolio of projects funded by AECID and FAO's own funds totaling nearly US $1.5 million is about to be mobilized. Partnerships with other NGOs operating in the Southeast will soon be established.

This intersectoral and integration process initiated in the South-East department aims to increase the impact of cooperation programs through innovative solutions and establish a favorable climate for sustainable socio-economic development through the establishment of partnerships between beneficiaries, the Government, development partners, international bilateral and multilateral cooperation agencies, universities, the private sector and civil society, in order to understand the problems linked to food and agriculture in their complexity.

In the near future, FAO, with the support of its technical and financial partners, intends to help the Haitian Government to replicate this model in other departments of the country so as to amplify the impact of the programs and their socio-economic benefits in the future nationwide.

HL/ HaitiLibre