AMURT together with LOCAL-Haiti (Local Capacities Alliance), the Agriculture Ministry, and other emerging new partners has begun Phase II of its integrated strategy targeting the reduction of Iodine Deficiency Disorder while improving the socio-economic balance in the region.
- a social entrepreneurship model (Phase I shown on the photo above) which has the capacity to produce 9,000 MTs of iodized salt annually
- a small producers’ cooperative model which will integrate the small producers into the larger scheme through training, certification, cooperatives, and value chain support/market penetration
- phase by phase expansion into adjoining unused areas integrating a growing number of producers and increasing the production capacity of the social model to 20,000 MTs of salt annually
- the revenue of the social model will be distributed as follow: 25% – amongst the 10 stakeholder villages directly managing the facility, 25% – into a capacities building and admin fund providing administrative support and accompaniment for both cooperatives and private producers, 50% – into a regional micro-lending fund accessible by cooperatives and associations in order to finance agriculture and livelihood projects in the entire Commune Anse Rouge
- a large-scale watershed protection initiative targeting the conservation of the watersheds connected to flash-floods endangering the salt production areas
- agricultural livelihoods initiative will invest in irrigation canals, cooperatives, and seed/tools banks
The main partnerships for this ongoing and currently expanded strategy depend on the collaboration with relevant actors such as the Ministry of Agriculture, LOCAL-Haiti, UNICEF, Ministry of Health, FAES, WFP, MI, University of Notre Dame, pcH, Article 29 and a variety of local and international organizations with interest in salt production and integrated regional development. AMURT will seek to play a role connecting this initiative with the local communities, ensuring that it follows participative bottom-up approach which not only seeks to attain its objectives but also contributes to a durable social, economic, and environmental equilibrium in this isolated area of Haiti.
