Haiti Reforestation Project FY20 Annual Progress Report.pdf

DISCLAIMER This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International Inc. under Cooperative Agreement AID-521-A-17-00011.

The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflects the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

USAID REFORESTATION PROJECT

FY20 Annual Progress Report September 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020

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USAID REFORESTATION PROJECT

FY 20 ANNUAL PROGRESS

REPORT

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Submission Date: October 30, 2020 March 2, 2021 Agreement Number: AID-521-A-17-00011 USAID Agreement Officer’s Representative: Kenold Moreau

Implementation Consortium: Chemonics International, National Cooperative Business Association – The Cooperative League of the USA (NCBA CLUSA), and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

RESULT 1: THREAT OF DEFORESTATION REDUCED 6

RESULT 2: RESILIENCE TO ECONOMIC AND NATURAL SHOCKS IMPROVED 9

RESULT 3: TREE COVER IN TARGETED AREAS INCREASED 16

RESULT 4: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND COORDINATION IMPROVED 18

COST-SHARE 20

COMMUNICATIONS 22

TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING 24

MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING 27

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE 30

MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS 33

ANNEX A: INDICATORS TABLE AND TARGETS ACHIEVED DURING FY2020 36

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ASEC Assemblée des Sections Communales

AVANSE

APS

Appui à la Valorisation du potentiel Agricole du Nord pour la Sécurité Économique et Environnementale Annual Program Statement

BAC

CASB

CASEC

Bureau Agricole Communal Centre pour l’Agriculture Saint Barnabas Conseil d’Administration de la Section Communale

CBO Community Based Organization

CECI

CFAIM

Centre d’Etudes et de Coopération Internationale Centre de Formation en Aménagement Intégré des Mornes

CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture

CMBP

CNIGS

Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Program Centre National de l’Information Géospatial

COAIT Community Options Analysis and Investment Toolkit

CRDD Centre Rural de Développement Durable

DDA-N Directions Départementales Agricoles du Nord

DDA-NE Directions Départementales Agricoles du Nord-Est

DDEN Directions Départementales de l’Environnement du Nord

DDE-NE Directions Départementales de l’Environnement du Nord’Est

FECCANO Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord

FOPROBIM Fondation Pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine

GIS Geographic Information System

GOH Government of Haiti

LPG Liquefied Propane Gas

NCBA CLUSA National Cooperative Business Association-Cooperative League of USA

NGO Non-governmental Organization

NUPAS Non-U.S. Organization Pre-Award Survey

PEA

PMU

Political Economy Analysis Project Management Unit

RECOCARNO Réseau des Coopératives Caféières de la Région Nord

RFA

RFP

RFQ

TEC

TNC

Request for Applications Request for Proposals Request for Quotations Technical Evaluation Committee The Nature Conservancy

USAID United States Agency for International Development

3BNMP 3 Bays National Marine Park

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The USAID Reforestation Project is a five-year project to address environmental degradation and loss of tree cover in the Nord and Nord-Est Departments of Haiti and improve the resilience of targeted populations. Its objective is in line with the priorities of the government of Haiti to restore environmental services and support domestic and international efforts to improve food security and resilience. The project area is divided into two regions. Region1 includes the Cap- Haitien office, and covers the watersheds of Haut du Cap, Grande Rivière du Nord, and Trou du Nord. Region 2, with an office in Ouanaminthe, covers the watersheds of Marion and Jassa river, and the commune of Capotille within the watershed of the Massacre River, and the northern border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

FY20 MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

The project made substantial progress in FY20, including:

Baseline Resilience Survey. The Project completed an innovative survey of 637 households across five communes to create northern Haiti’s first quantitative baseline of household resilience capacities and assets. The results of the study foster targeting of adoption of specific techniques, based on the household assets and capacities, and will allow for better tracking of effectiveness. As a result of the survey, the Project adapted its strategic approach, building on what exists and creating lasting resilience to ensure the sustainability reforestation efforts. For example, the Project has further prioritized highland communities, as highlanders are typically poorer, more dependent on agriculture and tree cutting for livelihoods and more likely to rely on home gardens than local markets for foods. The study also found that highlanders are more active in community-based organizations, and thus the Project is building on this social capital within and among groups to increase capacity to cope with shocks and stresses. The Project will use the findings from this survey to adjust and prioritize resilience interventions in support of livelihood development and reforestation in the target areas.

Over one million trees planted. The Project employed adaptive tree planting techniques and overcame climatic stresses (drought and unpredictable rains) and economic shocks (COVID-19, peyilòk) to plant 1,088,506 trees, including fruit, forest, and mangrove species, with over two thirds in the harder-to-access highlands, on 1,292.28 hectares of private and public lands. As rainfall events and the rainy seasons have become less predictable, the Project established localized nursery structures near planting site, operated by community nursery technicians, to improve the efficiency in seedling handling and transplantation techniques. The Project also made management adjustments to its tree planting activities for rapid response planting by embedding technicians within the communities where they work.

Increased household livestock resilience through improved animal health and feed availability.

The Project developed partnerships with livestock associations to build nine (9) forage demonstration plots for use as practical training grounds and seed bank for farmers. Through these demonstration parcels, they learn how to plant and manage forage crops, then adopt these practices on their plots to feed their livestock. To conserve and store forage post-harvest, the Project also installed a hay production unit near each demonstration plot, leading to over 75 MTs of hay produced for the benefit of over 600 farmers. Additionally, the Project collaborated with the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Ressources Naturelles et du Développement Rural’s (MARNDR’s) network of veterinary agents to undertake a far-reaching deworming campaign that benefitted more than 51,000 heads of livestock owned by 13,000 farmers. These veterinary

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and forage production interventions aim to protect the livestock assets of beneficiary farmers for economic and livelihood purposes and, as a result, will contribute over the mid and long term to reducing pressure on wood stands and forest resources. Access to better animal feed and veterinary services improves the productivity of livestock assets, which represent many households’ only investments.

Smallholder agroforestry systems. To increase resilience, and specifically as a means of diversifying livelihoods, improving food security, and creating new productive assets for farmers, the Project promoted interplanting or association of seasonal crops and trees to establish agroforestry systems. These traditional household gardens, or jaden lakou, include vegetables and fruit trees to improve nutrition, cash crops to generate cash savings, timber trees as long-term investments, and forage to feed livestock. Based on sites assessment, the Project finds that agroforestry also increases the survival rate of seedlings planted, as farmers monitor their young trees during their routine maintenance of seasonal crops, at no additional cost. The Project also collaborated with cooperative federations RECCOCARNO and FECCANO to diversify coffee and cacao plantations with crops and other tree species, thereby hedging risk of international price fluctuations and strengthening biodiversity of the farm. Promoting these agroforestry practices have had significant positive impacts on the landscape management approaches and income diversification sources for farmers living primarily on charcoal production and other wood-based products. The Project will continue to strengthen and support these techniques in FY21 to assist more farmers, improve the productivity of depleted farmlands and expand tree occupation of vulnerable landscapes.

Blended finance model to reduce fuel wood demand and strengthen value chains. The Project engaged the private sector to attract investments in converting households from charcoal to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), thereby creating added value out of existing and newly transplanted trees. With a catalytic grant of $120,000 to FERRE Haiti S.A., a subsidiary of stove manufacturer FERRE-FEMAS, the Project unlocked over $400,000 in new investment to establish Haiti’s first domestic LPG stove manufacturing plant at the USAID-funded Caracol Industrial Park. The Project and FERRE-Haiti S.A. did not stop there and partnered with the textile industry to provide employer-backed credit to factory workers to help them overcome the up-front cost of stoves. In FY21, the Project will replicate similar blended finance models to co-invest with agribusinesses in business models that include smallholders and madan sara (local agricultural traders) as suppliers in their mango, pineapple, cashew, moringa, milk, and ackee value chains.

Foundation for sustainable agroforestry research and extension. The network of the Centre de Recherche et de Développement Durable (CRDD) established under USAID-funded and Chemonics-implemented Feed the Future programs will soon add another CRDD to its network.

In FY20, the Project initiated the installation of the physical infrastructure for the CRDD after over two years of building social capital among partner organizations. Members of the stakeholder group who have contributed to the CRDD’s governing statutes and structure include the Episcopal Church of Haiti who donated five hectares of land through their Centre d’Agriculture Saint-Barnabas (CASB) in Terrier Rouge, regional universities who collaborate with the CRDD network on applied research, government officials from the MARNDR and Ministry of Environment (MOE), and surrounding community-based organizations (CBOs) that will benefit from extension services. CASB Support Group (CSG), a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) which supports CASB and now the CRDD, fundraised $40,000 to finance the office and is actively seeking long-term funding. The stakeholders agreed on a land-use plan that will reflect the

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Terrier Rouge CRDD’s emphasis on agroforestry, forage production, beekeeping, and jaden lakou. The Project and its partners anticipate a CRDD launch ceremony in January 2021.

FY20 CHALLENGES AND ADJUSTMENTS

While the Project achieved a large majority of its indicator targets (see Annex A) and created impact across four results, several disturbances significantly impacted Project progress.

Rainfall was more sporadic and irregular; there was social and political unrest which led to peyilòk; the GOH declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 virus. To address these challenges, the Project had to adjust its management approach.

Decentralized office management structure. The Project opened a field office in Ouanaminthe as a base of operations in the North East to reduce the travel time between the Cap Haitien headquarters and the targeted watersheds of Marion, Jassa, and Capotille. The new office decentralized the technical team’s organizational structure to allow for more flexibility and quicker action when opportunities arose, whether taking advantage of sporadic rain or clear roads.

Technician mobility. The Project increased the mobility and flexibility of field technicians, providing them with motorcycles for travel. The travel arrangement reduced the reliance on Project cars, thereby allowing for more field visits and quicker access to rural and hillside areas.

Technicians are present in the office one day per week for coordination meetings but check in regularly via phone.

Socially distant training. To respect social distancing protocols whilst promoting resilience-building environmental techniques, the Project adapted its training plan, focusing more on outdoor practical trainings in smaller groups with masks required. Theoretical sessions were also held outside, with large flip charts or printed boards used as opposed to standard presentations. Masks are always mandatory.

LESSONS LEARNED

FY20 provided a series of lessons learned that impacted the Project’s programmatic approach towards increasing tree cover and building beneficiary resilience capacities.

Rapid tree planting through emphasis on direct implementation. The Project’s strategy for increasing tree cover is to provide a mix of 1) sub-awards to organizations whose missions align with the Project’s objectives so they can scale their programs, and 2) direct implementation (DI) that focuses on partnerships with public authorities and CBOs to collaborate on installing community nurseries and planting trees under Project supervision. Sub-awards are key to long-term sustainability of tree planting efforts, but the DI approach has shown to be much more flexible for rapidly deploying resources in the face of unpredictable constraints. Over the course of FY20, the Project put a greater focus on DI to establish decentralized nurseries near planting sites and quickly mobilize manm konbit (local informal workforce group), who are residents of the target community who join forces with their neighbors to transport, transplant, and monitor seedlings.

Refined model for resilient reforestation. The Project combined systems and best practices developed in previous years to build a replicable model for reforestation. The model, which the Project will use going forward in collaboration with partners, recognizes that lack of alternative income sources for farmers and their dependents is one of the key threats to reforestation. As

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such, and using the resilience survey results, the Project promotes adoption of tested environmental techniques among beneficiaries in a focused zone. The Project creates a package, adapted to the conditions of each zone, to build specific resilience assets, such as livestock services or access to agroforestry markets. The model also focuses on collaboration with CBOs and local authorities to map local springs and designate areas for reforestation. The DI team then deploys the necessary resources and implements the plan in collaboration with the community.

CBOs at the heart of the landscape approach. Sub-watershed management committees (SWMCs) are the crux of the Project’s environmental governance and sustainability strategy to date. However, through the development and approval process of sub-watershed management plans (SWMPs) in FY20, the Project learned that the geographic sprawl of sub-watersheds relative to political jurisdictions and municipal borders is problematic for long-term collaboration.

If a sub-watershed overlaps multiple jurisdictions, the SWMC is unable to act without unanimous consensus of local governments. In a context where travel is difficult and political upheaval is recurrent, there is limited accountability among SWMC members who live in different communities within the same sub-watershed. In contrast, the Project confirmed through experience working with local stakeholders that CBOs rooted in the areas have higher incentive in maintaining the integrity of their respective micro-watersheds, or local water spring. Mobilizing CBOs to serve as de facto micro-watershed committees has resulted in increased motivation and success.

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RESULT 1: THREAT OF DEFORESTATION REDUCED

Deforestation is linked to economic shocks and stresses that leads many in Haiti’s rural communities to cut trees as a mean of generating income. The trees are cut to produce charcoal, use as fuel wood, and timber for construction. Political instability and other socioeconomic factors, such as weak presence of authorities in the remote areas, inability of local authorities to enforce existing regulations, historically unequal land repartition, weak cadaster laws, and lack of alternative fuels, have contributed to the deforestation observed over the half century. Unregulated natural resource extraction deteriorates landscapes and exacerbates soil erosion, and diminishes the replenishment of springs and streams percolation.

The results from the previously conducted Community Options Analysis and Investment Toolkit (COAIT) and Political and Economic Analysis (PEA) exercises, and a desktop review of existing literature are the main resources used by the project to identify the drivers of deforestation. The information gathered was used by the Project to improve its understanding and help in the design of current and future activities. The key threats to deforestation identified by the Project are:

− Lack of economic opportunities increases the pressure on environmental resources, including woody resources;

− The increased frequency of natural disasters (hurricanes, droughts) has adverse impacts on reforestation initiatives;

− Destruction of newly transplanted seedlings from free roaming animals;

− The results of externally driven reforestation programs are generally controversial;

− Due to the lack of institutional stability over the last 30 years, the policies of the GOH on natural resources management have focused primarily on ecosystem rehabilitation, and that work has been performed through a succession of micro projects that are not linked to a master plan; The enforcement of the existing regulations have been neglected;

− Land tenure patterns is a very complex issue with differentiated impacts on the tree cover through the project area: it intermingles with soil productivity, available market opportunities and access or not to alternative revenue sources, and influences the motivation of stakeholders to either nurture or exploit the natural resources.

RESILIENCE REDUCES THREATS TO DEFORESTATION

Deforestation will continue to threaten Haiti’s watersheds if communities have low levels of capacity to deal with natural and economic shocks and stresses. If the only livelihood for many Haitians is cutting trees and mangroves, any progress towards reducing threats to deforestation is unsustainable. The Project has convened communities to map their local micro watersheds to designate reforestation areas, experimented with more efficient charcoal production technologies (Kinyanjui and KEFRI improve kilns) to reduce wood demand, and closed partnerships with the private sector to invest in the conversion of thousands of households in the North and North-East from charcoal to LPG.

To study the effectiveness of different resilience-building environmental techniques, in January 2020 the Project conducted Haiti’s first resilience baseline survey to help quantify communities’ current capacity to cope with shocks and stresses. In a sample of 637 households in five watersheds, respondents reported economic shocks, by far, as having a worse impact compared to natural or political shocks. This key finding, among others from the survey, shapes how the Project, under Result 2, promotes techniques like animal management, beekeeping, 7 | USAID REFORESTATION PROJECT, FY2020 REPORT home gardening, and agroforestry enterprise development. In FY21 and FY22, this newly available, statistically significant data will help measure the impact of Project’s activities on beneficiaries’ adaptive, absorptive, and transformative resilience capacities.

1.1.2 INSTALLATION OF AGROMETEOROLOGICAL STATIONS TO MANAGE PRODUCTION AND TRANSPLANTATION

CYCLES

Reliable and current weather information is especially important in the context of changing climatic conditions. The present weather information system for Haiti does not provide complete coverage for the North and Northeast, and there is no system in place to disseminate said information to farmers most at risk from weather and climatic shocks. In FY20, the Project planned to acquire and install 18 modern agrometeorological stations and partner with the Unité Hydrométéorologique d’Haïti (UHM) and the Centre National de l’Information Géo-Spatiale (CNIGS). The strategy is to connect the stations to the national UHM/CNIGS weather information system and develop mechanism to disseminate data to partners and beneficiaries, leading to increased access to weather and climatic information services coordinated by a network of institutions each with the capacities and mission to make the information available to farmers for on-farm decision making.

To deliver newly available weather and climatic information services the Project hired Viamo, an IT firm specialized in data collection and dissemination via mobile phones, to survey beneficiaries and stakeholders on their use of mobile phones and the types of data that would be useful to them. We now have access to a suite of potential platforms and delivery mechanisms for weather and climatic data, including automatic SMS responses calibrated to GIS location of the sender and automatic voice responses for farmers looking for planting information who have low literacy levels. In FY21, the Project will collaborate with Viamo, CNIGS, and UHM to launch the information network and deliver data to farmers.

Two challenges were encountered in deploying the stations and connecting them to the national network:

1. The model of stations that are optimal for the network in terms of interoperability with existing software and for which regular maintenance services are accessible, are not available locally, but these factors are critical for the sustainability of the network. International procurements require a long and complex procurement process for importing the stations.

2. Follow-up meetings with UHM, CNIGS, and partners who would host and maintain the stations were not possible given social distancing and travel constraints. The proposed locations needed to be field verified to ensure accessibility, security, strength of internet signal, and coverage area.

During the reporting period, the Project coordinated discussions between the UHM and CNIGS to co-identify 18 sites where the stations will be installed. The stakeholders developed a memorandum of understanding, and signature is pending the procurement of the stations, to be completed in FY21. The Project has also consulted international partner CIAT regarding their experience installing and managing agrometeorological data collection systems in similar contexts, such as their ongoing activities in Nicaragua using weather information systems to help coffee and cacao farmers adapt to a changing climate.

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1.2.1 FACILITATE THE CONVERSION OF SELECTED SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES FROM FUEL WOOD TO OTHER

ENERGY SOURCES

While implementing the FY20 Work Plan, the Project’s analysis of the drivers of deforestation and types of resilience capacities that could reduce the quantity of trees cut for charcoal led the Project to aim beyond SMEs in terms of fuel-wood reduction and efficiency targets. In addition to the planned outputs of converting 150 “machann manje kwit” (MMK) and 10 bakeries and dry-cleaning businesses from fuel wood to LPG through access to finance, the Project also worked towards improving the efficiency of traditional charcoal kilns to reduce the quantity of wood needed for the same charcoal output. The project also worked with a private investor to convert 2,000 households to LPG. In addition to the increased savings resulting from a transition away from charcoal, these activities will provide productive physical assets and build access to new LPG infrastructure for households and MSMEs.

Traditional charcoal kiln efficiency: In FY19, the Project tested improved charcoal kilns (the KEFRI, Kinyanjui, and Brazilian kilns) in an attempt to improve the efficiency of charcoal production in the target areas. Following the tests, the Project concluded that these kilns were not adaptable to the Haitian context given their higher costs, low mobility, and lower outputs. In FY20, the Project developed a one-pager on techniques for improving the efficiency of traditional charcoal kilns. The team planned to also introduce, promote, and train producers on the Casamance kiln to encourage the adoption of fuel-wood demand reduction techniques and improve charcoal production efficiency. This improved kiln developed in Senegal, layers wood by size within a traditional earth mount and adds a chimney made of local materials. However, the trainings were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conversion of MMK and SME to LPG: In collaboration with Palmis Enèji, a social enterprise focused on clean and efficient cooking and energy consumption, the Project developed a model for converting150 MMKs and 10 SMEs from charcoal and fuel-wood to alternative energy sources, such as LPG and diesel. The model includes an upfront payment of ~50% for the LPG stoves split between the Project and the beneficiary, with actual amount depending on the financial capacity and business plan of the beneficiary, with the remaining ~50% covered via loan through a finance institution. The pandemic slowed down development of the model and contractual materials, but USAID approval was received during the reporting period, and implementation will commence in FY21.

Private sector engagement for household conversion: With households composing the largest demand segment for charcoal, their conversion is a priority for reducing threats to deforestation, notwithstanding the economic and health benefits associated with transitioning away from charcoal. In FY20 the Project partnered with Turkish stove manufacturer FERRE-FEMAS to establish a Haitian subsidiary, FERRE Haiti SA, that invested in Haiti’s first households LPG stove manufacturing plant at the USAID-funded Caracol Industrial Park. Using blended financing that leveraged a $120,000 USAID grant into a $400,000 investment by FERRE- FEMAS, FERRE will use their lower prices, an employer-backed credit scheme, and aggressive marketing and awareness campaign to convert over 2,000 households in the first two quarters of FY21.

Through the end of FY20, the Project has initiated or implemented a series of activities intended to reduce the identified threats of deforestation. Many of the activities are cross cutting and have been previously reported upon under their specific intermediate result. In addition to the above-described results (agrometeorological stations to manage production and transplantation cycles, testing of improve kilns to increase the efficiency of charcoal production, facilitate the

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conversion of selected small and medium enterprises from fuelwood to LPG and other energy sources, and establishment of an LPG stove assembly plant), the Project:

− Conducted spatial analysis of topographic data, community mapping, and worked with local authorities to identify 4,720 hectares to be designated as reforestation areas;

− Improved youth awareness through an inter-school competition (Télé Génie) with more than 240 fourth thru sixth grade students competing in curriculum on the water cycle, climate change, biodiversity protection, natural resource management, and reforestation;

− Improved livestock and pasture management to reduce open grazing on newly transplanted seedlings;

− Promoted beekeeping to improve biodiversity, provide alternative source of income, add new melliferous trees, and protect existing ones;

− Promoted and provided training to farmers on establishment of agroforestry systems to protect newly transplanted seedlings, while providing additional incomes;

− Facilitated the development of 5 sub-watershed management plans to evaluate the deficiencies and define proposed actions; supported the establishment of 5 sub-watershed management committees to oversee the implementation of the plans.

RESULT 2: RESILIENCE TO ECONOMIC AND NATURAL SHOCKS

IMPROVED

2.1.1 ESTABLISH A REGIONAL CRDD AT THE CASB FACILITIES IN TERRIER ROUGE

The establishment of the CRDD is an integral part of the Project’s sustainability and resilience strategy. The CRDD will serve as a testing, demonstration, and training center for the promotion of improved agroforestry technologies and practices. The CRDD in Terrier Rouge will be modeled on the three successful CRDDs currently operating in Bas Boen, Montrouis, and Kenscoff under the Feed the Future WINNER and Chanje Lavi Plantè projects funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics. The CRDD network has proven effective and sustainable, and the CRDDs are still in operation several years after the projects ended. Funding for the facility beyond the life of the project will come from the CASB Support Group (CSG) fundraising and provision of extension, trainings, and research services to public institutions, donors, and universities. CSG has already raised $40,000 from the Packard Foundation as cost-share to partially fund the installation of the physical infrastructures.

Through FY20, the following milestones, associated with the creation of the CRDD, have been reached:

− Establishment an MOU with the Université Episcopale d’Haiti (UNEPH) and the CASB for the allocation of 5 hectares of land on which to establish the CRDD;

− Development of the governing statutes of the CRDD and identification of the institutions interested integrating the Board of Directors; the Board of Directors will include representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Université Episcopale d’Haiti, Université d’Etat d’Haiti (Campus Henry Christophe de Limonade), CASB, and other regional associations;

− Development of a management plan, operation manual, initial workplan and budget for the CRDD;

− Completion of the installation of the physical infrastructures to house the CRDD;

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− Land preparation for the establishment of the various demonstration plots;

The project completed the physical infrastructure of the CRDD as planned and installed three

(3) prefabricated container offices on the five-hectare site donated by CASB, including a raised platform, gate and gravel driveway, connection to water and sanitation, and electrical wiring.

Picture 1 – CRDD facilities on the CASB campus in Terrier Rouge

Experience with other CRDD’s has shown that creating a sustainable research facility takes time. Social capital must be strong for a CRDD to be successful; bridging capital between the CRDD, CBOs, NGOs, and universities, as well as linking social capital between the CRDD and government ministries and beneficiaries, is critical. To build this requisite social capital, relationships must be established, and the stakeholders need to agree on organizational protocols and procedures. Specifically, the Project coordinated two general assemblies with 13 partner institutions and organizations (including the MdE, MARNDR, and University of Limonade) to agree on governance. We now have proposed statutes, internal regulations, and a consensus management plan for operations.

The CRDD will become operational and start to fulfill its mission in FY21. Some of the remaining key elements include:

− Installation of a fence around the 5 hectares to protect the demonstration plots from free roaming animals;

− Establishment of the various demonstration plots;

− Procurement and installation of office furniture and equipment;

− Procurement and installation of greenhouses, honey processing and hay making equipment for testing and demonstration purposes;

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− General assembly to vote on the governing statutes and selection of the first the Board of Directors;

− Recruitment of the administrative and technical staff.

A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for the second quarter of FY21. This will allow sufficient oversight before the end of the Project, while the CRDD transition to self-sustainability.

The CRDD installed agroforestry practical training sites following a 16-sample soil test, including a 3.5-hectare forage demonstration plot, 1-hectare woodlot, and model apiary with melliferous tree species. In anticipation of demonstration plots on “jaden lakou” home gardens, the Project supported the newly hired CRDD technical team to develop a technical sheet on modern jaden lakou, now in use by Project beneficiaries.

The Project learned an important lesson from the CRDD process. The Project’s selection of CASB as the CRDD partner has led to strained relations with other stakeholders. CASB was the best possible partner for the CRDD activity due to their existing role in agricultural extension, support of/from surrounding CBOs, their willingness to dedicate land and resources, and their committed management team. However, the Project should have engaged in additional dialogue with all potential stakeholders before finalizing the decision. In the end, the Project has secured the support of the departmental directorates of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and regional universities to ensure synergy and that services provided by the CRDD do not conflict or overlap with those offered by other stakeholders in the region. For example, the CRDD will not offer soil testing services as the capabilities are already existing at the Limonade campus of the Université d’Etat d’Haiti.

2.2.1 IMPROVE PROCESSING AND ACCESS TO MARKETS FOR AGROFORESTRY PRODUCTS INCLUDING COFFEE AND

CACAO VALUE CHAINS

The most resilient trees are the ones producing revenue for farmers and communities beyond their potential one-time use as fuel wood. Fruit trees that are well maintained, periodically harvested, and connected to value chains can create alternate business opportunities and productive assets. In FY20, the Project planned to continue its analysis of agroforestry value chains, support cooperatives and MSME partners to apply new technologies, link producer associations and cooperatives to value-added processors, and increase incomes through market access.

The Project made significant progress in the high-value cacao and coffee value chains by launching sub-award partnerships with FECCANO and RECOCCARNO. In the case of FECCANO, the Project is building on gains made by the AVANSE Project in supporting processing and handling by establishing tree nurseries managed by FECCANO cooperative members. In the coffee value chain, the Project is tackling the disappearance of local varieties and reduced yields of older trees by planting new coffee trees in biodiverse agroforestry systems. To date, 26 coffee and 12 cacao nurseries have been established. Planting will commence during the next rainy season in FY21.

Due to operational constraints during the reporting period, limited results were achieved across the other priority agroforestry value chains. A private sector partnership with Antillean Canning S.A (ANCASA) to do an inventory of small holders of ackee trees and connect them to

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ANCASA’s processing and export center in Port-au-Prince had to be delayed due to the inability of the ANCASA team to travel and reduced operations of their plant.

The Project produced several deliverables while practicing social distancing. Two organizations in breadfruit processing were diagnosed, teleconferences were held with the DDA and MCI on designating a space for a permanent “Marche Peyizan” (farmers market) managed by producer organizations to sell directly rather than intermediaries, and post-harvest training modules were developed. Many trainings had to be cancelled, including NCBA CLUSA-led trainings by international volunteers through the Farmer to Farmer program on post-harvest handling and processing of various tree crops.

The Project learned through consultations, that women and youth are proportionally more active in post-harvesting activities then men. In FY21 the Project will prioritize women and youth associations whose livelihoods depend on adding value to tree crops. This process has begun with the training of 32 female members of RFEO in post-harvest and hygienic practices in honey and cashew processing, and a subaward request was submitted to USAID to support this organization.

In the coming year, the Project plans to support a dried mango operation in processing and marketing, improve cashew production and marketing. The ackee marketing activity is set to begin. The Project will build on existing beekeeping activities through honey processing and marketing activities. It will also seek to provide postharvest handling training and marketing assistance for pineapple and cashews.

2.2.2 PROMOTE INNOVATIVE WAYS OF IMPROVING AND ENHANCING FRUIT PRODUCTION IN AGROFORESTRY

ECOSYSTEM

The Project also seeks to learn about and implement new innovative ideas to add value to local agroforestry commodities. This includes improving existing methods, developing new products, or adapting marketing approaches to reach new markets. In FY20, the Project planned to support university student research on topics related to Project objectives and organize an entrepreneurship competition for youth to develop and propose new ideas in livestock or agroforestry products transformation and commercialization.

While the entrepreneurship competition did not take place due to inability to hold coordination meetings with stakeholders, the Project signed agreements with the Université Américaine des Sciences Modernes d’Haïti (UNASMOH) and the Université d’Etat d’Haïti pour le Campus de Limonade Faculté d’Agronomie et de Médecine Vétérinaire (FAMV) to support five university students on their final thesis. The students started their field research with the support of one designated Project staff member who provides guidance and mentorship during the research process. This will foster the development of a new generation of academics studying forestry techniques, while building social capital with schools and communities.

Research subjects will be completed in FY 2021, and include the following topics:

− Inventory and evaluation of melliferous resources in the North and North-East

− Analysis of three approaches for seedling production in Three-Bays National Marine Park (3BNP)

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− Identification and evaluation of resilient practices for coffee and cacao-based agroforestry in the North

− Production techniques and revenue analysis for bamboo production in Plaisance, Limbé, and Sainte Suzanne

− Monography of three indigenous tree species to the North and North East in danger of extinction

2.3.1 IMPROVE LIVESTOCK AND PASTURE MANAGEMENT

Open grazing of livestock is a major threat to young tree seedlings and often represents the only option for livestock owners given a limited supply of forage and affordable feed for their animals.

The recurrent and expanding drought events have caused significant loss of pasture and grasses for feed and led to deterioration in animal health, and high mortality rates. The Project’s past efforts in forage production were well received by livestock owners, as it demonstrated an activity that beneficiaries could easily replicate. In FY2020, the Project planned to expand its forage production and livestock management activities. Specifically, the Project planned to scale up its trainings in forage and hay production, support farmers to produce forage in sylvopastoral systems, promote hay and silage production as a viable economic activity, and support the Gwoupman Sante Bèt (GSB) of the Ministry of Agriculture to deworm livestock and improve their overall health and productivity.

The projects’ forage demonstration plot approach has successfully garnered farmers’ interest in growing forage crops on their plots. With support from the project, some livestock owners have partnered with other members of their associations to produce hay, creating new hay processing units that package and store fodder crops for the next dry season. FY20 results include:

− 518 farmers trained in forage production. The project promotes integration of forage production into agrosylvopastoral techniques, enabling farmers to apply these practices on their own plots in order to feed their livestock in normal conditions as well as in drought situations.

− 1,656 farmers have access to forage crop seeds through their local demonstration plots, which enabled them to produce over 159 MTs of dry fodder. Thanks to these interventions, 632 farmers have reported having access to hay to feed their animals.

− Nine hay production units established with the assistance of the project, aiming to produce, store, and market hay to the livestock communities. These units have produced 76 MTs of hay to date.

The Project has closely collaborated with the Direction Départementale Agricole (DDA) of the Ministry of Agriculture to jointly address major productivity issues affecting the livestock systems in the Northern region. Based on their initial assessments, no livestock were lost in FY20 as result of forage production interventions the Reforestation Project had implemented in collaboration with the farmers. Anecdotes from partners managing demonstration plots and hay production units, such as CASB, indicate that demand greatly exceeded available supply, thus the Project will continue scaling up hay production in FY21.

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The Project’s FY20 deworming campaign was highly successful. Approximately 80 GSB agents received refresher veterinary training to properly diagnose animals’ needs and deliver medications procured by the Project. Two cold storage rooms for storing veterinary medicine are now rehabilitated, one managed by the DDA-Nord and the other DDA-Nord-Est. The GSB treated over 51,000 herbivores owned by 13,000 farmers during the campaign, with campaign implementation split between an initial phase at no charge to the farmer, and a second phase that charged farmers per animal, with no noticeable drop-off in demand. The MARDNR estimates that livestock losses due to internal or external parasites are worth millions of dollars from weight loss or death and each animal should be treated for parasites and dewormed once per quarter. The Project will continue deworming campaigns in FY21 and will work with GSB’s to strengthen veterinary medication supply chains and pricing of deworming services to strengthen the GSB’s capacity to continue providing access to livestock services after Project closure.

Through the implementation of activities designed to improve livestock and pasture management, the Project addresses one of the identified threats of deforestation: destruction of seedlings by free roaming animals. Proper livestock and pasture management increases animal productivity, household income, while reducing livestock (grazing) pressure on forested and newly reforested areas. Animal assets are an important source of daily cash income (such as cow milk), essential to provide resilience to economic shocks (sold when cash is needed for emergencies) and constitute a savings account (cover the cost of large anticipated expenses).

The improved health of the animals derived from the deworming campaigns will contribute to an increase in food security and the resilience of their owners.

2.3.2 PROMOTE BEEKEEPING FOR HONEY PROCESSING AND MARKETING

Bees are significant promotors of biodiversity and play an important role in plant reproduction.

Honey production and sales can be a supplementary source of income, and environmentally conscious beekeeping can be practiced in a variety of ecosystems including dry plains and humid mountains if melliferous plants are present. In FY20 the Project planned to train beekeepers in melliferous tree-based agroforestry systems, rehabilitate partner apiaries, support establishment of honey processing enterprises, and create linkages between hive managers and businesses specializing in honey processing and marketing.

The Project was able to support beekeeping activities outside of the anticipated sub-awards.

While support to commercialization and improved processing hinges on sub-awardees, the Project was able to adapt to social distancing requirements to continue training of beekeepers.

Two more model apiaries were established (the first located at CASB), one through direct implementation in collaboration with the municipality of Sainte-Suzanne and the other through sub-award partner AAF in Ferrier, providing new practical training grounds for small holder beekeepers. The apiaries facilitated training of 129 farmers in apiculture techniques using modern hives to optimize and increase their honey production. Twenty (20) trainees were existing beekeepers selected to receive new beekeeping materials and training to modernize their hive management practices, and these beekeepers will become models in their communities for other residents interested in apiculture to diversify their livelihoods.

Through FY20, the Project’s support of the beekeeping value chain includes the integration of melliferous species (such as Acacia, Logwood, Mango, and Cashew) in most tree planting activities. In addition, modern hives and equipment have been distributed to individual beekeepers as well as CBOs to increase the quantity and quality of their honey. Already, there are anecdotal reports on how the technical support provided by the Project is improving

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incomes. Marisia Jean Louis, a beekeeper from GAO which is a CBO affiliated with CASB, stated in a recent video interview that her income per batch of honey increased from HTG 1,500 to HTG 5,000 thanks to the improved yield and collection methods promoted by the Project. To increase the resilience of the beneficiaries, the Project completed the co-design of a sub-award to PAC-VIAHSA to modernize honey processing and commercialization. Scheduled to begin in early FY21, the activity will connect PAC-VIAHSA to the Project’s network of beekeeper’s associations in Terrier Rouge, Sainte Suzanne, Ferrier (AAF), Ouanaminthe (RFEO), and Fort- Liberté (CACOPA), to serve as a central outlet and long-term service extension provider. The Centre Rural de Développement Durable (CRDD) to be opened in FY21 will also be outfitted with a modern honey processing center to conduct research on best local practices for quality honey production.

2.4.1 SUSTAINABLY STRENGTHEN CASH CROP PRODUCTION AND SEASONAL CROPS HARVESTED IN SMALL

SCALE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS

The traditional “jaden lakou”, family fruit tree-based agroforestry garden with short term staple crops and vegetables, is key to food security and balanced nutrition, which is particularly important in the COVID-19 era that has seen disruption in trade of food products. Integrating crops for self-consumption and market-driven high-value crops with trees has shown to increase tree survival rates, as farmers tend to seedlings while conducting their crop management routines. During the first two years, the Project trained farmers to better understand the agro-ecological conditions of their “jaden lakou” for their rejuvenation. During FY2020, the Project planned to support farmers trained in “jaden lakou” management to apply these practices on their own plots; organize an exchange visit to the Dominican Republic with selected farmers to share their experience and their approach to cash-crop based agroforestry practices; and continue developing agroforestry and “jaden lakou” extension materials and disseminating them to smallholders.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter of the reporting period forced the Project to reassess its programming of planned interventions. The close interaction required to conduct planting activities within the ‘jaden lakou’ conflicted with the need to maintain social distancing for the protection of staff, partners and beneficiaries. The transplantation of trees within the ‘jaden lakou’ setting was therefore postponed until the next rainy season. However, the Project team continued developing training materials and refining “jaden lakou” technical packages, training 460 farmers in establishing agroforestry systems in order to increase human resource capacity for expanding planting in the coming year.

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RESULT 3: TREE COVER IN TARGETED AREAS INCREASED

3.1.1 ESTABLISH/REJUVENATE AGROFORESTRY AND WOODLOT SYSTEMS AND FACILITATE FOREST COVER

MANAGEMENT

The USAID Reforestation Project adopts two primary approaches to increase tree cover and scale up adoption of environmental techniques: Establish sub-award partnerships with local organizations whose missions align with the Project objectives to build their organizational and technical capacity to produce, transplant, and manage tree seedlings; and carry out direct implementations that focus on partnerships with public authorities, allowing the Project to establish decentralized community nurseries to produce seedlings and mobilize manm konbit for tree planting activities. Given the lower resilience capacities in highlands, the Project also focuses most of the tree planting efforts on sloped and elevated areas.