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Camp Perrin/Haiti: Strengthening the economy and environmental protection
August 1999

Fritznel Octave, Radio Voice of the Far West, Port-de-Paix, Haiti

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In many parts of Haiti, economic hardships as well as the damage to the environment are very serious matters. The situation looks better than average in Camp Perrin. Here, in collaboration with several NGOs, people put in tremendous effort to increase the quantity of agricultural production, whilst strengthening and protecting the environment.

The community of Camp Perrin is located in the Southern Department of Haiti, about 220 kilometers from Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital and 24 kilometers from Les Cayes, the main city of the Department. Its population is approximately 50,000 according to the latest census by the Haitian Institute of Statistics (IHSI). 75% of the population are peasants, while the others are retail merchants.

The peasants can be divided into 2 groups. There are those who cultivate the lands in the mountains: they plant crops that do not need too much water, such as peanuts, manioc, yam, sweet potatoes, beans, corn and millet.

The others work in the plains where about 4,000 acres are irrigated by the Dazak Canal, built in 1759 when Haiti was still a colony under French rule. It is a hydrant of "La Ravine du Sud," a river that crosses the region East of Camp Perrin.

The locality also benefits from a 9 months rainy season. During the 1980s, this high volume of rain as well as irrigation by the Davzak Canal enabled the peasants to produce good amounts of harvests. Both peasants in the mountains and in the plains were very productive at that time.

However since 1990, the general socio-economic deterioration that has affected all of the country, also has had serious consequences for the people of Camp Perrin. Their crops have been wasting and spoiling because the local market is being invaded without any control by imported products. Nowadays, farmers have to sell their crops at lower prices than in the past. They suffer terrible losses due to the high cost of production. Farmers can not do anything about this: not only are many products smuggled into the country (and are therefore less expensive), but most are also subsidized by the governments of the countries where these products come from.

In Haiti, no policy for food production exists nor has the management of the market been defined. Farmers do not receive grants from the government, nor do they benefit from any agricultural loan. Because of this situation, many peasants are discouraged and show less and less interest in agricultural production. Coffee, oil, manioc and peanut mills are nearly all out of function.

Jan Esprimon, a Belgian national in charge of a factory that makes agricultural machinery and other farming tools in Camp Perrin stated: "10 years ago, the peasants of Camp Perrin bought more than half of the agricultural machines, ploughs and other tools that we make here. Nowadays it is less than a quarter of our products that is being sold locally."

Esprimon continued to say that the farmers are no longer interested in agriculture: "Nowadays, it hardly rains in the community because the mountains are denuded. And the worst is that the country has no sustainable agricultural policies."

Sean Finigan, an Irishman involved in agricultural and environmental work in the community since 1985, agrees with Esprimon that the cutting of trees and environmental damage are consequences of the reduction of agricultural production in Camp Perrin. Since peasants can no longer survive on farming, they have started to cut trees for making charcoal. A great many trees are sent for sale in the cities, which makes the situation worse from day to day.

Amid these difficulties, several NGOs and peasant organizations have emerged in Camp Perrin. Their objective is to achieve true and sustainable development and work together with the farmers for solutions. Two notable NGOs are the "Organization to Rehabilitate the Environment (ORE)," which has worked in agricultural and reforestation activities since 1985, and the "Pan American Development Foundation (PADF)," that supports the reforestation of the mountains by peasants.

One of the community's most important peasant organizations is "OPMAGAT," based in the 2nd section of the community. Their work includes reforestation and the resolving of economic problems of farmers. OPMAGAT is supported by PADF and the Japanese Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

The OPMAGAT peasants' organization has set up a factory to process manioc. The production of manioc has increased and other results are that the economic status of peasants has improved and lands are bing reforested at the same time. According to the leaders of OPMAGAT, living conditions of many peasants have improved since they started to implement this project. Many youngsters and adults have found new job opportunities, and most importantly, the trees are taking a breath.

Many peasants in Camp Perrin say that since the activities of OPMAGAT started some years ago, the situation has really improved. The second section of the community is nearly reforested and the production of manioc has become more valuable.

Ploma Banat, the Treasurer of the organization, stated: "The activities of OPMAGAT bring out 3 results: the improvement of the economic conditions of the families; 230,000 trees are saved in the mountains per year; and a continuously strengthened reforestation programme, thanks to the establishment of a system of tree nurseries, where all kinds of trees are cultivated."

ORE's activities are also moving in this direction. ORE's principal manager Sean Finigan stated: "Each serious reforestation campaign should be linked to economic activities which generate income for peasants. This is the reason why ORE emphasizes the growing of those trees for reforestation that have economic value, such as mango, orange and avocado trees. The peasants have a close relationship with these fruit trees, because they enable them to earn every season some money." ORE has established fruit tree nurseries and developed a grafting programme throughout the Camp Perrin region.

Someone who visits Camp Perrin for the first time, will be astonished to see how green the region looks. The plains are nearly completely covered with trees and even the mountain tops look green. All this results from the efforts of these organizations which are working together with the peasants during these last years. However, there is still more work to be done, particularly in the mountains. Environmental degradation here poses a real threat to the community's future because of possible flooding.

[1067 words]

During 1997 and 1998, Info-Services, the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) and the Panos Institute have implemented training seminars for Haitian journalists in reporting on community development issues in the Caribbean region. This article was produced during this training.

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