Main Reasons That Led Us to Unite in a Common Platform
The peasant-farming class, has been neglected by the central government for the past three decades, ever since the fall of the Duvalier regime. Farmers have been left on their own, without any form of support or guidance from the state.
There have been no government-led planting campaigns of any kind.
We have witnessed the disappearance of several crops under the state’s powerless gaze.
Some key crops are now at risk of extinction, such as: sweet oranges, grapefruits, limes, sour oranges, and common oranges.
Various types of mangoes have disappeared, and others are on the verge of vanishing — including: mango fransik, ti klo, and mango jan mari.
Important cereal crops are in decline, such as millet, and rice varieties like madan gougous and lakrèt rice.
No irrigation work is being carried out — canals have been clogged for over 36 years.
There are no soil conservation projects; fertile topsoil is being lost to the sea, and ravines are left untreated.
Coffee, once one of the main sources of income for farming families, is now close to disappearing.
Sweet potatoes and yam (manzonbèl) are also at risk of extinction.
The agricultural sector’s economic activity index has declined.
Despite this, agriculture still contributes about 25% to Haiti’s GDP and employs between 50–60% of the active rural population. (World Bank)
The absence of large-scale agricultural projects and central government interventions—combined with the current security crisis—has led to a deepening emergency
Nearly 4 to 5 million people (about 48% of the population) are facing severe food insecurity between August 2024 and February 2025.
Over 2 million are in an emergency situation, and thousands are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. (FAO)
Because peasant farmers represent a vital force and body of knowledge that no one should neglect much less ignore.
This political action marks a turning point in the history of organized peasant groups across the country.
And this must be only the beginning.
For far too long, the peasant sector has been scorned, treated as a "poor relative" by the central government. We have now taken the resolution to ensure that our struggle enters a new phase.
The current multidimensional crisis affects all social classes in the country. This reality shows us that any response to the crisis must be comprehensive, and that both governmental and non-governmental actions must work together to address the crisis in all its aspects.
As peasant farmers, now organized at multiple levels, we see this structure as a strength that allows us to contribute meaningfully. It gives us the organizational capacity to share our views, our experiences, and our concerns, with the goal of helping to find better pathways toward solutions. This kind of approach is valid for any sector of society.