USAID's Vanilla Introduction to Haiti: Unveiling Qualities a Decade Later

The USAID-Deed project, which ended in 2013, facilitated the importation of vanilla cuttings to Haiti, specifically to farmers in Limbé, in the northern region. Regrettably, due to challenges in nursery management, a significant number of these cuttings did not survive.

Building on this foundation, since 2017, PISA and LUSH Cosmetics have embarked on an ongoing exploration of intercropping vanilla with existing cacao plantations. Despite initial obstacles, their experiments proved successful, prompting the development of a market system strategy in 2022. The primary objective of this strategy is to ensure profitability for the APROCANO cacao producers involved, establishing a sustainable value chain.

Amidst a severe drought that impacted most crops, from January to April 2023, a positive outcome emerged for vanilla production in Limbé. The drought surprisingly triggered blooming in even the less well-maintained vanilla vines. This development confirmed the adaptability, disease resistance, and drought tolerance of the vanilla variety imported by the USAID-Deed project.

Impressed by the unexpected and abundant blooming, a group of former USAID-Deed project farmers, who are also members of APROCANO's network in Limbé, sought assistance from PISA. They expressed their desire for training and support to capitalize on this opportunity and sustain their vanilla vine cultivation.

In response, PISA extended comprehensive support to the farmers, offering training in hand- pollination techniques. Additionally, the farmers were invited to visit PISA's own vanilla production site, where they were assured of a market for their yield.

"I am grateful that despite the drought's impact on my other crops, my vanilla vines unexpectedly bloomed. With the training I received, I can now care for them effectively and hopefully increase my income," shared Margarette Horard, farmer from APROCANO in Limbé.

As PISA continues to build a robust value chain for vanilla in Haiti, the remarkable adaptability to Haiti's environment of the variety of vanilla introduced by USAID serves as a confirmation of the progress made thus far. This also serves as a source of encouragement for farmers to embrace and pursue the cultivation of this crop.

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