Haiti’s Greenhouse Revolution

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is undergoing a phenomenal agricultural upheaval with the help of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

A “greenhouse revolution” is taking place, bringing extraordinary harvests and promoting incomes to levels never experienced before. Environmental degradation is being tackled for the first time.

Although greenhouses are commonplace in most parts of the world, they were relatively unheard of in Haiti. Crops such as broccoli, lettuce, peppers and flowers are now being cultivated in a sustainable and efficient manner.

With around 60% of Haitians depending on agriculture for income, the greenhouse has become an essential tool in lifting a large proportion of the population out of poverty. Agricultural production had declined steadily over the past 30 years; however the 2010 earthquake that rocked Haiti has led to affirmative action by the Haitian government and international aid organisations such as USAID.

Agricultural training and greenhouse technology have been embraced, with both small stakeholders and larger farmers reporting an increase in profit and productivity, resulting in less land pressure and encouraging reforestation.

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http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8960-haiti-agriculture-the-greenhouses-revolution.html