Savoie in France and Dessalines in Haiti have been collaborating for more than 15 years in projects with a focus on education, health and urbanism. Since food insecurity is one of the major problems of poor people in Haiti, partners requested FAO's assistance in developing a project on rural development to improve food production and reduce extreme poverty in Dessalines .

Various meetings with the three partners in Savoie, Dessalines and at FAO in Rome were held to ensure that the project was designed according to local needs.

The project includes:

• the creation of networks of farming families;
• training to improve agricultural practices and commercialization;
• and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure.