Haiti's Agriculture Minister Pushes for Resilient Farming at IDB Regional Dialogue

Haiti's Minister of Agriculture (MARNDR), Marcelin Aubourg, called for building a more productive, sustainable and resilient Haitian agriculture capable of contributing to national food security, according to Haitilibre. He spoke on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at a regional dialogue on public policy in agriculture and rural development organized in Panama by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the theme "Building productive and resilient agri-food systems." Aubourg said strengthening national production would be a major axis of agricultural policy to confront economic, climatic and security crises. According to the report, authorities consider emergency responses indispensable for vulnerable populations but say they must be paired with durable investments to reduce reliance on food imports. The minister emphasized improving farmers' access to quality seeds, suitable equipment, agricultural advisory services and production technologies, as well as rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure and modernizing operations. He also cited soil and water conservation, crop diversification, adapted financing mechanisms, and reinforced early-warning systems. Aubourg highlighted reducing post-harvest losses through stronger storage, conservation, processing and transport capacity. He urged that future IDB support mechanisms prioritize productive investments, institutional strengthening and food-system resilience, aligned with national priorities. The remaining challenge, the report notes, is translating these orientations into concrete investments that durably improve rural livelihoods.