The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Haiti have signed a financing agreement to implement the Inclusive Blue Economy Project (I-BE).
The project will help preserve the Three Bay Protected Area by providing economic opportunities to smallholder famers and artisanal fishermen living in the country’s north-eastern region.
IFAD is providing US$14 million of the total investment of US$26.6 million for the project which will benefit 40,000 people in the region, primarily focusing on women and young people.
“We believe the best way to help Haitian smallholder famers and artisanal fisher folk to progress and contribute to the country’s food security is by enabling them to run their economic activities in a sustainable manner, so that they are not forced to deplete natural resources to survive,” said Paolo Silveri, IFAD’s country director for Haiti.
The area is one of the poorest in the country and current fishing and agricultural practices are exhausting natural resources. The I-BE project aims to encourage legislation to ensure practices are sustainable, reducing the pressure on resources such as mangrove forest and coral reefs.
It will also promote more sustainable methods of food production, including salting, drying and smoking fish to make it more portable and marketable. In parallel, better small animal breeding and vegetable production will allow participating families to improve their diets and earn additional income.
Lessons learnt from I-BE could potentially be used as a basis for sustainable management of the other 24 Haitian protected areas.
