Tell Samantha Power that USAID should support Haitian farmers, not U.S. for-profit contractors

With half of Haitians facing hunger, the People’s Organization for the Development of Haiti (OPODNE) is pushing USAID to support Haitian farmers with seeds, irrigation, tools, and agronomists to adapt to drought and climate change. Over the past decade, USAID has given 96 percent of its aid funding for Haiti to U.S.-based for-profit contractors and large international NGOs, undermining Haitian civil society organizations. Tell USAID Administrator Samantha Power to follow the lead of Haitians, not foreign contractors. 

Dear Administrator Power,

As people of compassion and faith, we continue to be deeply concerned by USAID's continued reliance on large for-profit contractors and international NGOs. We urge you to act on your stated commitment to local ownership by working through local farmers to respond to rising hunger in Haiti.

Under the banner, Let’s Plant Today So We Can Eat Tomorrow, the People’s Organization for the Development of Haiti (OPODNE) has asked that USAID redirect funds to help local farmers obtain quality seeds, irrigation, and affordable tools to adapt to drought and climate change. 

Longer term, Haitian farmers need a comprehensive water management plan, credit, secure land titles, agronomists to help adapt to climate change, irrigation, and better roads to get crops to market.

By working through foreign companies and NGOs rather than Haitian organizations, dumping surplus commodities on Haiti, and pressuring Haiti to lower tariffs on imported food, the U.S. government has undermined the capacity of Haitians to feed themselves. Today, USAID continues to provide tens of millions of dollars to foreign companies and NGOs to design and manage agriculture projects in Haiti rather than working through and following the lead of Haitian organizations like OPODNE.

You must take a different, more sustainable approach that begins with Haitian farmers. As a first step, please follow the lead of Haitians by redirecting USAID funds to inputs that farmers need to plant. The response to hunger in Haiti must begin with restoring the capacity of Haitians to feed themselves.  

Thank you for standing with the Haitian people in their struggle to survive and rebuild their democracy and economy. Faith in Action International supports grassroots faith-based community organizing in Northeast Haiti through Organisation Peuple Œcuménique pour le Development du Nord-Est (OPODNE). Through A Way Forward in Haiti, we are working together to prevent the spread of COVID in Haiti and bring equitable access to vaccines to the most vulnerable Haitians, while supporting efforts by Haitian faith and community organizations to restore democracy, rebuild their economy, and promote sustainable community-led development. For more information visit www.faithinactioninternational.org