02/04/2026
A high-level FAO mission to Haiti and the Dominican Republic this week underscored a central reality for the Caribbean: food security is a shared regional challenge, requiring both life-saving, emergency agricultural action to respond to acute needs as well as cutting-edge prevention and preparedness systems to protect food supply chains.
Amid Haiti's severe hunger crisis, where over 5.7 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity, much of the rural population continues to rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Building on this, FAO’s Emergency Food Production approach enables highly vulnerable families to grow food within just 90 days, even amid a crisis. In 2025, FAO supported more than 140,000 people by distributing over 210 tonnes of seeds to 76,000 farmers, resulting in more than 7,500 tonnes of food produced across 4,300 hectares.
In the neighboring Dominican Republic, discussions focused on safeguarding agrifood systems from major shocks—including transboundary animal diseases, climate-related hazards, and supply chain disruptions—while reinforcing regional trade and market integration for the wider Caribbean. Over the past two years, FAO has strengthened food system defenses by certifying 25 pig farms, sharply reducing viral circulation, and raising biosecurity compliance from 35 percent to nearly 80 percent—enhancing pork export potential and foreign exchange earnings.
“Travelling to both countries, I am deeply convinced that agriculture is not just a lifeline in today's crises—it's the foundation for stability and food security. In Haiti, where families endure relentless shocks, farming remains the daily anchor sustaining households and the seedbed for rebuilding resilient livelihoods,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. Voir moins
