This project will support the Government of Haiti in its efforts to pursue sustainable intensification of agricultural production. This will contribute to rehabilitate the food production capacity of the most vulnerable rural families affected by the earthquake and the communities hosting displaced people. It is expected that the capacities of the actors of the seed filière are sufficiently enhanced to ensure business continuity after project ends.
The project will run over a period of 24 months in the areas directly affected by the earthquake. The project will focus on maize and bean, in at least three departments. The location of the project interventions will be decided in agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and in consultation with local communities and interested stakeholders with a specific focus on geographical areas where Seed Growers Associations have already been established. The strategy for bean seed development is based on plain and highlands integration.
The assumptions are that i) the production obtained in the irrigated (and dry) plains during the winter season will be marketed in the highlands for the spring season;
and ii) the production obtained in the highlands during the spring and summer seasons will be marketed in the plains.
Testing and promotion of pretested varieties among smallholders and multiplication of seeds of improved varieties already adopted would be the strategic axes for maize seed production. With the technical support from the “Service National des Semences” (SNS), specialized NGOs will participate as implementing partners in the testing, screening, genetic conservation, foundation seed multiplication of newly introduced varieties. These NGOs will also collaborate as implementing partners in the training and capacity building of farming communities through the “Farmers Field School” approach.High quality foundation seeds, equipment and construction materials for infrastructure development will be supplied free of charge to seed grower associations as a one-time initial investment to consolidate the structural basis of their activity for sustainable community-based seed production schemes. Subsequently, seed production will be implemented according to procedures guaranteeing that:
− the quality of the seeds produced is in compliance with FAO “Quality Declared Seeds” (QDS) standards;
− varieties to be produced are adapted to the agro-ecological zones of production, well known by farmers and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture;
− seed production and marketing activities will be conducted with the aim that Seed Growers Associations should rapidly become economically viable community-based enterprises.
The modalities of seed distribution will be determined in agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture depending on the economic profile of seed users with the view that this project should induce a process leading to a gradual shifting from an emergency approach to a more sustainable and participative approach as required to ultimately allow the establishment of economically viable community-based seed production schemes. To this aim, it is proposed that the project will promote the organization of seed fairs and vouchers in which Seed Growers Associations will play a proactive role in the marketing of their own seeds. During these fairs, community farmers will be able to choose and purchase their seeds according to their needs. In order for poor and vulnerable farmers to have access to the seeds, the project will grant them vouchers as required to cover their most essential needs. With the view of giving priority to the most vulnerable affected families, eligibility criteria for beneficiaries to receive such vouchers will be developed jointly with the MARNDR, the Coordination Nationale de la Sécurité Alimentaire (CNSA), representatives of local authorities and targeted communities, and other partners in the framework of the Agriculture Cluster. The project will be implemented as a part of the FAO Emergency and Rehabilitation 3-Year Programme in support of the Investment Plan of the Government of Haiti.
The programme has three components:
i) Coordination of the response in agriculture,
ii) Support to food security through rural and urban agriculture and fishery production of earthquake-affected families, and
iii) Support to the reduction of risks related to natural disasters. The project will contribute to the first two components of the programme through seed production and marketing activities. Under the Programme umbrella, complementary activities will be carried out in collaboration with projects supported by other funding agencies.

The expected results are the following:
1. Increased availability and accessibility of high quality seeds of local varieties.
2. Quality of the seeds produced is enhanced throughout the process.
3. Performing varieties of beans and maize are identified and diffused at farmer level.