Haiti – PL 480 Title II Multi-Year Assistance Program

Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods

ACDI/VOCA implements a five-year PL 480 Title II Multi-Year Assistance Program for Haiti funded by the USAID Office of Food for Peace valued at approximately $37 million. ACDI/VOCA works with key partners, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), an international development agency specializing in health promotion and health systems, and Bureau de Nutrition et Developpment (BND), a Haitian organization, that has worked for over 20 years to improve food security throughout Haiti. ACDI/VOCA and its partners utilize an integrated approach to food security that includes the promotion of sustainable livelihood strategies as well as a focus on health and nutrition in the southeast department of the country.

The project works to reduce vulnerability to food insecurity via three main program components

• agricultural and off-farm livelihood improvements
• mother-child health and nutrition enhancement
• development of an early warning system for food security-related crises and increased emergency preparedness

For the livelihoods component, priority interventions include improved agricultural production and post-harvest handling that integrate natural resource management; empowerment of producer associations; increased access to financial resources and to markets; and diversification of non-agricultural livelihood activities.

Health and nutrition interventions include linking the most vulnerable and underserved communities to health and nutrition services as well as providing training on health and hygiene practices especially for mothers and children. A supplementary food distribution program for the most vulnerable mothers and children is a key part of the health intervention.

Lastly, the program is working to develop a sustainable early warning system designed to create linkages between the local authorities, community leaders and the Comité National de Sécurité Alimentaire (CNSA). At the same time, the project works with beneficiaries—associations and communities—to increase their internal capacity to monitor conditions and develop their own local emergency response plans.

Through these activities, ACDI/VOCA and its partners intend to reduce food insecurity among vulnerable populations and increase rural community capacities to influence and improve their own long-term food security.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Adams at eadams@acdivoca.org.

Updated: 4/08

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