Haiti’s agrarian society is highly sensitive to changes in weather and climate conditions. Little is known about Haitian farmers’ perceptions of climate-related risks and their ability to cope with hazards, which may reduce the relevance and likelihood of success of proposed adaptation solutions. We discuss the findings from the focus groups held with 104 small-holder farmers from mountain areas. Farmers in the study area regard the impacts of climate hazards on their livelihood as significant but largely prioritize short-term solutions over long-term protective measures, which potentially increase their vulnerability over time. The study provides insights on local decision processes and potential pathways for discussing climate information with farmers. It identifies the types of information perceived as necessary for informed decision-making. The findings, while in some cases distinctive to the study area, have implications for the design of climate change adaptation interventions in other contexts.
The country of Haiti has faced chronic food insecurity for decades. Increasing domestic food production has been identified as a key part of the solution, but this requires building human capacity, especially related to agricultural extension and research. Haiti’s agricultural universities can be key players in this process. The purpose of this study was to explore the self-perceived readiness of Haitian agricultural university students to enter the workforce. Results revealed students had a wide variety of career aspirations and appreciated the breadth of the agronomy engineer degree. Students also expressed favorable opinions about their preparedness for the job market but felt pessimistic about finding a job. Students valued the importance of research and felt prepared to lead a research project. Finally, students thought all 17 Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) New Extensionist competency areas were important. Recommendations for additional research and practice are provided.
Keywords:Haiti, agriculture, higher education, research, extension
The article Coping with climatic shocks: local perspectives from Haiti’s rural mountain regions, written by Caroline Staub, Anne Gilot, Molene Pierre, Gerald Murray, Rosalie Koenig was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 12 June 2020 without open access.
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