At the International Day of Peasant's Struggle, last Sunday, the Haitian peasant organizations have estimated that a political will is needed to enable national agriculture to meet to the needs of the population.

Today, Haitian agriculture whose annual growth is 0.1% meets only 45% of the population needs that grows of 3% per year, according to data from the National Coordination for Food Security (CNSA). However, the agronomist Gary Mathieu, coordinator of the CNSA, is convinced that agriculture can meet the food needs of the country, but for that, "We need a reform agri-land: land regroup, modernize agriculture, develop new crop varieties and improved tools."

For its part, Chavannes Jean Baptiste "leader" of the Mouvement de Paysan de Papaye (MPP), calls for "better agricultural infrastructure" and abandoning "the neoliberal policies that made ​​Haiti a free market where the imperialist powers come to sell their products." For Chavannes Jean Baptiste, agriculture represents "the only solution to address climate change issues, health and environmental degradation."

For its part, Philefrant Saintnaré, leader of the Mouvement Paysan National du Congrès de Papaye which is part of the global platform Via Campesina, declared "We know there are constraints, we know that the peasants have no land, but it is possible that agriculture in Haiti can feed the entire population [...] this requires that farmers can have access to agricultural credit, to a technical framework and a market for their productions".

As for the platform Via Campesina which coordinates the initiatives of struggle for peasant agriculture, it considers that international policies which have made the promotion of industrial food production system have miserably failed.

48 hours after this International Day, Patrick Henry, the spokesman of the branch Repon Peyizan which was opposed the choice of Michel Martelly, has revised his position "...This accomplished fact goes in a direction favorable to the country, so it's a good thing [...] we will accompany this fact and channeling his efforts [of Martelly] for not go against the Nation" Recalling to the next President to ensure the respect and the fulfilment of the promises made in his own name and on behalf of Repons Peyizan during the campaign.

S/ HaitiLibre