USAID/Haiti Mission Port-au-Prince, Haiti i PREFACE This study is based primarily on in-depth tape-recorded interviews with hundreds of Haitians and Dominicans on both sides of the border. Fieldwork was undertaken directly by the two co-authors of this report
This paper explores social capital in Haiti and its pertinence to current USAID Mission objectives and programs. Social capital resources are of intrinsic interest to the Democracy Enhancement Program (DEP) and its Local Government (ARD-PACTE) and Civil Society (ADF-Asosye) Projects, and to ASSET (Winrock International, IRG, Datex), focused on renewable natural resources and environmental planning. The DEP Local Government Project works with executive councils in both municipal jurisdictions (conseil municipal) and rural jurisdictions (CASEC, conseil d'administration de section communale).
This is a study of the supply of rural credit available to small farmers in Haiti. Haitian society is by and large a peasant society, and the majority of its poor are small farmers. These peasant farmers are even today the very backbone of Haitian economy. Haiti’s primary tax base has long been the coffee crop which is produced by hundreds of thousands of smallholding peasant farmers.
This report explores the general feasibility of agroforestation projects with special attention to Haiti's northwest region and the island of La Gonave. It provides an assessment of some of the problems and possibilities for carrying out such programs to the benefit of small peasant farmers. Attention is focused on the planting of fast-growing hardwoods useful for producing wood charcoal.
In keeping with the scope of work mandating this study, this report seeks to identify problems and clarify issues commonly raised in the use of food aid, labour-intensive approaches to public works and community development. An under lying premise of the study assumes that certain material' resources are readily available to private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and USAID projects, in accord with the Congressional mandate.