Communication and Media Outreach Officer
[email protected]Rome, 12 March 2025. The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the Republic of Haiti signed a US$23.6 million grant agreement to increase incomes for nearly 100,000 poor rural people, through a new project called Enhancing Food Security through Sustainable Agriculture, Local Economy Development and Healthy Diets (EFOSE) in Rome, yesterday.
“This new project demonstrates IFAD's commitment to Haiti, especially during these critical times,” said IFAD President Alvaro Lario. “Our investments in long-term sustainable rural development and food production across the country complement the humanitarian response and contribute to building the basis for peace and stability.”
The project targets the Southeast department where locally grown food is scarce. Rural households in this region barely get by on subsistence grain-based diets and have insufficient access to health services. Forty-three per cent lack access to clean water; 21.5 per cent of children under 5 years of age suffer from stunting, and 39.4 per cent of women are anaemic. In addition, the area was chosen for its acute food insecurity and vulnerability to climate shocks, as well as for its agricultural and commercial potential. This region also allows for partnership opportunities with other UN agencies, particularly those supporting social protection and school feeding programmes.
EFOSE’s main focus is to improve food security for over 21,000 rural households through investment in better agricultural and commercial practices, by providing both capital and training for farmers as well as support for home gardens. The project will also invest in climate-resilient productive infrastructure, including individual and community cisterns to increase access to safe water; repair irrigation infrastructure and priority roads; and increase the resilience of 1,000 hectares of upstream watersheds against climate shocks.
Haiti is one of the poorest counties in Latin America and the Caribbean, struggling with persistent political violence and instability. According to the latest analysis of the Integrated Phase Classification, nearly half of the Haitian population (48 per cent) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Armed gang violence has been disrupting daily life and economic activities, destroying livelihoods and forcing people to flee their homes. Inflation remains high and food expenditure now accounts for up to 70 per cent of total household spending.
The Haitian people are also still suffering from the residual effects of various climatic shocks such as the impact of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 which impacted directly the EFOSE project’s area.
Despite the escalation of the security crisis in recent years, IFAD projects have continued operating with the successful completion of two projects in 2024 which contributed to increasing food production, rural incomes and adoption of sustainable production technologies. With the upcoming start-up of the EFOSE project and the implementation of the Inclusive-Blue Economy Project currently under way, IFAD is committed to support more than 45,000 Haitian households over the next six years.
Since IFAD began operations in Haiti almost 45 years ago, the Fund has been active in the country through 12 projects, with a total value of approximately US$314 million benefitting hundreds of thousands rural families.
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IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries
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