Projects and Partners

The Feed the Future Haiti Appui à la Recherche et au Développement Agricole project (AREA) project is helping to develop and strengthen Haiti's agricultural innovation system and address food insecurity and undernutrition by strengthening Haitian institutions. The project is led by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services (UF/IFAS), with assistance from partners with the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and Louisiana State University.

AREA is committed to building the capacity of public and private organizations to provide results-oriented agricultural research and extension programs that are inclusive of all farmers, promote gender equity, and are appropriate for Haiti. The following priorities for the AREA project are listed below.

Agricultural Extension

We use a research based approach to improve the capacity of Haitian agricultural professions to develop and implement effective extension programs.

Climate Smart Solutions

We develop science-based tools and applications to enable farmers to use weather data to plan and make decisions to reduce climate-related risks associated with agricultural production.

Crop Improvement

We are increasing farmers access to improved cultivars and seeds designed to increase agricultural productivity and food security in Haiti.

Plant Diseases and Pests

We strengthen the capacity of the public and private sector to perform disease diagnosis to farmers and formulate recommendations to reduce losses caused by plant pathogens in Haiti.

Postharvest & Food Safety

Introduction of innovative postharvest technologies and practices to reduce crop loss and improve marketability.

Soil & Water Management

We provide science based recommendations to farmers regarding the sustainable management of soil and water resources in Haiti to help increase agricultural productivity and food security.

Support to Higher Education

We strengthen higher education in agriculture in Haiti by modernizing the curriculum to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of the agricultural sector. Research is being conducted with the administrators, faculty, graduates, and potential employers from the private and public sector. Our partners include seven agricultural institutions in Haiti who plan to modernize their curriculum.

Implementing Partners

To help implement AREA programs, UF/IFAS has partnered with the following:

Louisiana State University

LSU Agricultural Center is one of 11 institutions in the LSU system with the mission to provide Louisianans with research-based educational information to improve lives and economic well-being. LSU AgCenter focuses on areas of research and extension in crop adaptability, alternative fuels, coastal restoration, functional foods, childhood obesity, sustainable housing and rural initiative. LSU has specialized research stations that focus on the breeding and agronomic improvement of rice and sweet potato, two important target crops in Haiti.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, or AgReach, is one of the largest agricultural colleges in the United States. Part of the university's Agricultural and Consumer Economics Department (ACES), it aims to improve the quality of farming families’ food methods and lives in countries across the globe. ACES engages in international research, capacity building and outreach through numerous faculty-led activities and through programs that focus on specific problems of significance to the AREA Project. ACES offers particular strengths to contribute in areas of extension, postharvest loss, water management and crop production, nutritional interventions, and human capacity building.