Under the U.S. Feed the Future initiative to address food security and support the agricultural sector in Haiti, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday launched the project "Support for Research and Agricultural Development" in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development.

The five year project (2015-2020) will promote research, technological innovation and extension services that address the needs of farmer organizations and women in farming and rural development activities. The University of Florida, Louisiana State University and University of Illinois will collaborate with teams at the Faculté d’Agronomie et de Médecine Vétérinaire, Quiskeya University, Centres Rurales pour le Développement Durable, and the Directorate of Innovation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Working with the public and private sector in Haiti, the new project will promote agricultural modernization, and provide research-based information and recommendations for farmers to improve food security in Haiti. "We believe that the knowledge and experience of the Support for Research and Agricultural Development project team will help the Haitian agricultural sector develop long-term solutions to challenges related to production or climate change and contribute to increased incomes, food security and household nutrition in Haiti," said Jene Thomas, Mission Director of USAID-Haiti

This project will also help to build a new generation of experts for Haitian agriculture by providing up to as many as 20 international graduate school scholarships, and organizing in Haiti, student internships, professional undergraduate and graduate certificate programs, and awarding small grants and technical assistance for promising innovations.

HL/ HaitiLibre