Check Out the Exclusive Local Farmers Market in Haiti

The farmer market in Haiti needs investment and support. Acceso Haiti, a social agribusiness, is working to strengthen the food system and provide long-term opportunities and market access to smallholder farming families.

“Choose fresh, nutritious, and sustainable produce from Haiti’s local farmers. Support their hard work and promote organic farming. Taste the goodness and make a difference in the community. Together, let’s cultivate a healthier future. Shop local. Buy organic. Embrace sustainability.“

Acceso Haiti launched in 2014, along with partner initiatives in Colombia and El Salvador, to help farmers improve yields, reduce costs, increase sales, and foster long-term collaborations to unlock key value chains. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the island in August 2021, one month after former President Jovenel Mose was assassinated.

The earthquake overwhelmed hospitals, damaged buildings, and trapped people under rubble in at least two cities on Haiti’s southern peninsula. More than 650,000 people required immediate assistance as a result of the earthquake.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, 4.4 million people—46 percent of the population—faced food insecurity prior to the devastation (IPC). Following the earthquake, Acceso maintained operations and increased purchasing to assist partners working on the front lines in meeting immediate food needs.

Over 136,000 kilograms of local fruits, vegetables, and grains, as well as Acceso’s own Lavi Peanut Butter, were sourced and supplied by the social enterprise. Acceso served over 700,000 meals between August and September and is working to produce more locally sourced food kits for affected areas.

“These events have served as a wake-up call for us,” Acceso Co-Founder Frank Giustra tells us. Giustra emphasizes the long-term importance of “creating economic mobility in poor rural farming households and investing in local food systems’ ‘ throughout Acceso’s efforts to combat food insecurity.

Acceso’s mission is to create a self-sustaining and robust food system that is not reliant on food aid, which corresponds directly to the role agriculture has played in the Haiti culture.

“Discover the Bounty of Haiti – Savor Fresh, Organic Fruits, and Vegetables from Local Farmers!”

“With the right training, inputs, financing, and market access, The Haiti local farmers can become a major engine of economic growth while also assisting in the reduction of food insecurity throughout the country,” Giustra says.

“Acceso and its partners are ready to scale proven models to assist tens of thousands of additional Haiti local farmers working across multiple value chains.” In the future, Acceso hopes to finish building its first Community Collection Center and Community Processing Center.

The organization hopes that these facilities will generate revenue from new products and customers in Haiti and elsewhere. The social enterprise also intends to increase export sales of their products, which include Lavi Peanut Butter, moringa powder, and moringa oil, as well as add more products for local buyers.

Acceso also hopes to expand its market-linked reforestation efforts. According to Giustra, this has the potential to lift 2,000 Haiti local farmers out of poverty while also reforesting the region in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.

As they expand operations in new locations across Haiti’s north and south, Giustra says their “North Star is to bring 25,000 farmers out of poverty over the next five years.”“Acceso is needed now more than ever in Haiti,” Giustra says, “so it’s up to us to make sure we’re here to stay for our Haiti local farmers, partners, and buyers.”