Seeds for Haiti is spearheaded by a volunteer group of Haitians and friends of Haiti. We hope that school children, churchgoers, union members, world hunger activists, environmentalists, friends of Haiti and other concerned people will participate in raising consciousness and funds for the seeds campaign.

Our target is to raise $115,000 for bean and corn seeds for Haiti that enough money for 5,000 peasant farmer families start growing their own food.

The estimated yield would be 140 pounds of beans per family and 560 pounds of corn.  These two basic staples, corn and beans, have a quick reproduction cycle and most people can afford to buy them. This is a stopgap measure to prevent famine. Growing food is the quickest and most nutritious way for the Haitian peasant farmer to lower the cost of living in Haiti.

The $23 worth of seeds would not be an outright gift but a loan; each peasant family will return an equal amount of seeds after the harvest to a seed bank that would be available to other families at the next planting season. In most regions,  Haiti has three growing seasons.

Distribution/Recipients
Seeds will go to farmers in the areas most affected by the 2008 hurricanes.

The recipients will receive the seeds as a loan with a down payment of 10 percent of the current value. This money will be reinvested to create the community infrastructure for the SEEDS for HAITI: CREOLE
SEED BANK. Recipients of this year’s seeds are expected to replace an equal portion into the bank at the end of the growing season.

Seeds, appropriate to soil and climate, will be purchased in Haiti.

The campaign’s long-term goals are to provide good quality seeds at a reasonable price for the most current crops grown in country.

Partners in Haiti
Bassin Zim-EDF and the SEEDS for HAITI Campaign is partnered with MPP
(Mouvman Peyisan Papaye) and its network of peasant associations for distribution and oversight in Haiti of this campaign.

Email us to discuss ways you can participate.

Beyond the current relief effort, SEEDS for HAITI hopes to contribute to a training program on seed production and conservation methods-using natural pesticides, and similar projects.

Click here for PDF of full campaign prospectus

Press about Haiti's urgent needs

Stability at Risk from the International Crisis Group

Farmers Want to End Food Dependence
Haiti Support Group
 

Comments

Entered by Rebecca Ladd on 2010-10-15 07:09:17

I have been travelling to Bercy, Haiti since Juanuary 2009. I have always take 50 lb of heirloom seeds with me. I discuss the beniffits of doing this with eveyne I hear of that is going to Haiti. I think that a "seed bank" shouls be one of my next steps. I will read more about your work and learn from it. Rebecca www.bercyhaitiandbeyond.wordpress.com

Entered by Neil Brantley on 2010-09-20 08:20:25

I have been amazed at the tremendous health and ecological benefits derived from the cultivation of the Moringa tree. Has there been an interest or previous efforts from your organization towards its cultivation?