The lost legacy of farmers behind Haiti’s agricultural powerhouse

GONAÏVES — Once celebrated as the “breadbasket” of Haiti, the Artibonite Valley has transformed into a landscape of abandoned fields and empty canals. Farmers who once sustained the nation’s food supply are now facing daily threats from heavily armed gangs that control vast agricultural areas, forcing them from their land and devastating Haiti’s food security.

“The gangs have claimed the land,” said Ulèrec Chérilus, who described the stark decline in food production. He noted that rice production—a vital crop in Haiti’s food supply chain—has significantly dropped, leaving many families hungry. 

Artibonite Department, once the foundation of Haiti’s agriculture

The Artibonite Department, the largest rice-producing region in the country accounts for more than 50% of the total rice cultivation plots. Agronomists and farmers in the region indicate that the agricultural land, nourished by the Artibonite River, is now estimated to cover 32,000 hectares. 

Historically, the Artibonite region has managed its production through the Organisme de Développement de la Vallée de l’Artibonite (ODVA),  playing a critical role in Haiti’s agricultural landscape. ODVA’s efforts have made the Artibonite Valley a significant rice-producing region, helping to supply a large portion of the country’s staple food needs and reducing dependency on imports. Through technical assistance and resource support, ODVA has worked to boost local rice production, contributing to Haiti’s food security. However, recent gang activity and insecurity have disrupted irrigation and limited ODVA’s effectiveness

“Planters are trapped. The gangs make the laws here,” said André Saint-Louis, coordinator of the Network of Organizations for the Integration of Planters in Bas-Artibonite. 

“Many have no choice but to flee to other towns like Saint Marc and Gonaïves to survive.”

Agronomists and farmers warn that gangs obstructing farming will worsen food insecurity in an already impoverished nation and a valley’s collapse could erode Haiti’s agricultural foundation.  

“Agriculture isn’t just our livelihood; it’s our legacy,” Saint-Louis emphasized. “Without it, Haiti’s entire food chain suffers.”

Feno Joseph, a displaced farmer’s not so unique story

Farmers displaced by gang violence have moved to cities like Gonaïves, where they struggle to make ends meet. Among those affected is Feno Joseph, a prominent rice farmer in the Artibonite Valley, who owns three plots, locally known as “land carrots.” 

Over the years, these lands have been his family’s livelihood, producing more than 150 bags of rice per plot—a yield critical to Haiti’s food supply chain. But today, the gangs demand payments even before he can plant, and if he fails to pay, his fields and harvest are forcibly taken. 

“I used to gather hundreds of bags from my fields,” Joseph shared, “but now it’s reduced to 40 bags because we’re harassed and pushed off the land before harvest.”

His production has dwindled under gang pressure, as armed groups regularly interfere, preventing him and other farmers from making a living.

Ulèrec Chérilus, a farmer from the commune of Dessalines, shared that over 3,000 hectares of rice fields are now unfit for farming. Gang members, prioritizing their interests over local agriculture, have rendered his vast tracts of land unsuitable for production.

“They won’t let us cultivate anything,” Chérilus explained. “The gangs have overrun the fields, and rice production has come to a standstill.” 

His once-thriving rice fields, a crucial food source, now sit barren, under the control of gang members who demand payments from every farmer who attempts to farm.

From 2019 to 2023, Artibonite’s agricultural lands have fallen under gang control. The gangs Koko Rat San Ras in Croix-Perisse and the Grand Griffe of Savien in Petite- Rivière have imposed an unrelenting reign of terror, with farmers routinely extorted, crops stolen, and fields taken over by force. 

 “The gangs control everything, even who can plant,” Jeannot Ulysse, a pastor in Joanisse said. 

Agriculture has stopped in areas like Petite Rivière, Verrettes, and Pont-Sonde, where fields lie fallow and are overrun by weeds.

The gangs have also devastated local economies by stealing crops and livestock and blocking transport routes. 

“Agricultural output is down by at least 48%,” explained Agronomist Gérald Telfort, technical coordinator at the Artibonite Valley Development Organization (ODVA). “They’ve taken over irrigation canals that feed the valley, leaving fields barren.”

Joseph reported that ransoms for harvests are demanded before the produce is even ready. 

“I haven’t yet harvested the rice I grew in the field that the gang controlling from Grand Griffe is already demanding payment.” 

The presence of gangs presents far-reaching economic consequences beyond food insecurity. Farmers in Artibonite now find it nearly impossible to sell their goods without paying off gangs.

“The fields were everything to us,” said Joseph. “Now, my family is split up—some are in Saint-Marc, some in Gonaïves. We barely see each other, and we don’t know if we’ll ever return to our land.”
Farmers and merchants transporting goods face similar threats. On National Highway 1, drivers risk extortion or outright robbery by gangs, making transportation costly and dangerous.
“The gangs have completely disrupted the supply chain,” said a merchant who regularly transports rice and corn. “They set the prices—anything we make has to go through them first.”
“The violence has turned the region into a war zone. Gangs openly pillage and attack anyone moving agricultural products,” John Kelly, coordinator of Citizen Struggle for Artibonite’s Development, explained.

Long-term outlook, and community reaction, call for government and international support

Many face soaring rents and little opportunity to return to farming due to the lack of government support. In response to these pressing issues, the departmental directorate of agriculture convened a sectoral meeting last June, bringing together various state agencies and international partners to strategize around the food insecurity challenges facing the department. The meeting highlighted the need for collaborative efforts to address the complex issues affecting agricultural production and support for displaced farmers. However, while the Artibonite Valley Development Organization is working to improve irrigation systems, it faces severe limitations.
“We need security as much as we need water in those irrigation canals,” said Agronomist Telfort. “Without that, nothing grows here.”
After the release of a CNSA report indicating a high percentage of the Artibonite population living in food insecurity due to gang violence, Renaud Gene, Artibonite’s agricultural director, said in June that an emergency strategy meeting had taken place with state and international partners. However, implementation remains slow amid worsening security conditions. With police presence in Artibonite inadequate to control gang dominance, residents are calling for urgent national intervention.
“Our department is dying,” said Saint-Louis. “We can’t wait. The government must act now to protect the land and the people.”
As more people are displaced from their homes and fields, the legacy of the Artibonite region as Haiti’s food provider is fading, leaving an uncertain future for those who depend on its fertile soil. Organizations like the ODVA and Citizen Struggle for Artibonite’s Development continue to press for immediate action. Without urgent intervention, Artibonite risks becoming another ghost region, devoid of its agricultural heart.e to press for immediate action. Without urgent intervention, Artibonite risks becoming another ghost region, devoid of its agricultural heart.

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The lost legacy of farmers behind Haiti’s agricultural powerhouse was first posted on November 8, 2024 at 10:08 am.