Haiti - Environment : Experimenting of new agricultural practices
Thursday, as part of the Program of Support for the Taking into account of Climate Change in the national development of Haiti, implemented by the Ministry of the Environment, and supported by the European Union through the Office of the National Authorizing Officer, ACTED and the Solidarity Foundation launched in partnership with the European Union, the project "Support to farmers and protection of the catchment basin of the Matheux region of Arcahaie-Cabaret against climate change" funded to the tune of 1 million Euros.
The European Union's ambassador, Vincent Degert, said "Climate change is a complex phenomenon. Strategies to address them need to take into account several aspects such as more appropriate farming techniques, greener crops, protection of ecosystems and economic strengthening of the most vulnerable strata, hich will thus cease to be predatory in their environment [...] This project constitutes an innovative approach to the management of climate disturbances faced by Haiti. I hope that its results can be a real solution to the challenges of climate change, which can be replicated on a wider scale in other parts of the country."
The project is mainly based on the introduction of new plants in the watershed crops in order to limit the risks associated with climate change. Vetiver plantations, for example, make it possible to solidify the soil thanks to their long roots and thus to limit the phenomenon of erosion. These plants also favor the infiltration of water into the soil, which is conducive to the filling of underground aquifers and the increase of water resources.
Nopal, a particular cactus species, will also be introduced to facilitate the storage of surface water. The vetiver straws and the nopal can then be used, together with the production of larvae, as a source of biogas and compost production in order to reconstitute the microbial life of the soils.
These new environmentally friendly farming practices will enhance the productivity and resilience of agricultural producers to climate change.
