Socioeconomic characterization and productive practices of family farming in Petite Rivière de Bayonnais, Haiti

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the socioeconomic situation of producers and the production practices adopted by farmers in the region of Petite Rivière de Bayonnais, located in the municipality of Gonaives, in the department of Artibonite. This study was conducted in the Petite Rivière de Bayonnais region in the municipality of Gonaives, Haiti. Participants were 44 farmers from five Bayonnais communities. Visits were made to the different farms, applied forms, from which it was determined that corn, sorghum, rice, beans, peanuts, carrots, beets, shallots, green onions, and peppers are the main plant species cultivated in this region, accompanied by rearing, such as goats, predominantly especially in mountainous areas. The agriculture practiced in this region is subsistence by farmers with low education level and low family income. Considering the data produced, the agricultural practices adopted in this region pose a threat to sustainable local development, where there is intense environmental degradation in the mountains, specifically in the regions where the main springs are located. Thus, it was identified in the Petite Rivière de Bayonnais region, under the eyes of farmers, the diminished water resource in the rivers, due to deforestation in all mountains, causing conflicts among farmers over access to water for their plantations in wintertime. Improvement in Bayonnais´ agricultural sector depends on government action on energy, water, and basic sanitation, as empowering farmers alone will not be enough to achieve the minimum quality of life conditions for this population.

Keywords

• agricultura familiar
• haiti
• pequeno produtor
• segurança alimentar
• subsistência