Hope Beyond Haiti’s Headlines
- Hugh Locke + Timote Georges + Pierre Michard Beajour
- Sep 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 13
Haiti is relentlessly portrayed in the media as a vortex of crises, as if the whole country was overrun by gangs with no safe corners left to escape the chaos. There is no question that Port-au-Prince and some nearby urban areas like Mirebalais are under siege, and that commerce has been severely affected and the national economy is suffering. But what goes unnoticed is that much of the country still functions in a conditional sort of normal. In cities like Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves and Jacmel, markets remain open, children attend school, and families gather for Sunday meals. Rural communities continue their agricultural cycles, tending crops and livestock with the same rhythms that have sustained them for generations. These stories of persistence and normalcy rarely make international headlines, leaving the world with an incomplete picture of a country where millions of people navigate daily life with resilience and determination despite the very real challenges they face.
The more than 7,000 members of the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) exemplify this resilience. Following are six stories of the real progress they are making in rural Haiti.
Potatoes Take Center Stage: The humble orange sweet potato now has a starring role in Haiti's agricultural transformation, simultaneously improving nutrition, increasing farmer income, and thriving despite climate change. What began with 1,500 slips on a small plot has yielded 1,800 kg of vitamin-rich tubers and generated 9,500 new slips distributed across multiple regions. This resilient crop excels in water-scarce conditions, produces multiple annual harvests, and is packed with vitamin A—addressing malnutrition while providing reliable income. With support from the Global Institute For Transformation, SFA's team of agronomist has trained over 100 farmers in cultivation techniques for this sweet potato variety. Haiti's year-round sunshine also makes it ideal to process these potatoes into flour and other products, helping this humble crop write a different story about rural Haiti's future, focused on food security and economic empowerment.
Reimagining Agriculture: There is a quiet revolution sweeping through much of the developing world as smallholders transition to a new holistic system of growing food known interchangeably as agroecology and regenerative agriculture. The SFA, with support from the Agroecology Fund, is working with 320 of its members to transition their farms to this new system. This approach goes far beyond organic farming—it's about rebuilding the entire ecosystem from the ground up. Instead of fighting nature, these farmers are learning to work with it, using cover crops to feed the soil, diversifying plantings to confuse pests, and creating natural fertilizers from compost and crop rotations. The results speak for themselves: healthier soils that hold more water during droughts, reduced costs from buying fewer inputs, and crops that are more resilient to Haiti's increasingly unpredictable weather. It's farming that heals the land while feeding families.
Green Cash Machines: Farmers in the Gonaïves area call their breadfruit trees "cash machines," and it's easy to see why. The 5,000 breadfruit trees planted through SFA's partnership with Trees That Feed Foundation since 2013 are now mature and bearing fruit, transforming both landscapes and livelihoods. The harvest from these remarkable trees is processed into nutritious flour for “konparet,” traditional Haitian buns that have found their way into school feeding programs nationwide. What makes breadfruit truly special is its longevity: a single tree can feed a family for 50 years, offering shade to farmers and animals while restoring biodiversity to degraded landscapes. Most breadfruit trees are geo-tagged and tracked on a digital dashboard, an example of data-driven sustainable agriculture that builds food security one tree at a time.
Women Rising Up: One group of 130 women farmers are part of a true economic success story. These SFA members recently received microcredit loans from the SFA, bringing the total number of women entrepreneurs receiving loans so far this year to 500. What started in 2011 with modest loans of US$25 to $50 (given in local currency) has grown into a transformative program offering loans that can be over $1,000, with a remarkable 100% repayment rate. Women use these funds to start or expand small businesses, from selling goods in local markets to purchasing livestock and quality seeds for their farms. Beyond the money, participants receive comprehensive business training covering customer satisfaction, supply management, and leadership development. As one participant proudly declared, "Business is in my blood!" These women are proving that when given opportunity and support, they become powerful engines of economic change in their communities.
Trees as Currency: Tree planting has become a form of currency in Haiti that is used to finance farm improvements. By late December, SFA members will have planted close to 800,000 trees this year alone. Every tree grown, transplanted and looked after by a smallholder farmer earns credits they can exchange for crop seeds, hand tools, and agricultural training. Crop yields increase by an average of 40% while household income jumps by 50 to 100% depending on the area. Tree currency also provides access to livestock, water source upgrades, literacy classes, and low-interest microloans exclusively for women farmers. This innovative system has made trees in the ground more valuable as a living asset than cut for charcoal, breaking the cycle of deforestation and poverty that has trapped rural communities for generations.
Seeds of Sustainability: The SFA has established 14 farmer-managed seed banks, adding two more this year alone. These community-run banks represent a revolutionary shift from dependency to self-reliance in Haiti's agricultural sector. Farmers who participate through tree currency receive high-quality, open-pollinated seeds at planting time, then return the same amount plus a bit more after harvest when yields are good. This simple system ensures a guaranteed source of quality seed for future seasons while building financial sustainability into rural communities. The seed banks store varieties specifically adapted to local climate conditions and passed down through generations of Haitian farmers. Unlike imported seeds that often have poor germination rates, these locally adapted varieties are proven performers that thrive in Haiti's unique growing conditions, helping farmers achieve the reliable harvests that form the foundation of food security.
We greatly appreciate the support we continue to receive from a wide range of individuals and foundations, with particular thanks to the Raising Haiti Foundation for both their financial assistance and partnership in implementing programs on the ground.
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Hugh Locke, President, SFA
Timote Georges, Executive Director, SFA
Pierre Michard Beajour, SFA Consultant
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