CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN
PROOF ANNEX // HAITI (HTI) // FEBRUARY 2026
Source Traceability for Every Claim
This annex traces every numerical claim in the CaribVista Haiti Executive Brief and Agriculture Feasibility Study to its primary source. Designed for CDB Special Development Fund due diligence: every hectare, every hunger statistic, every hurricane loss has a verifiable origin. Haiti data requires special care — common myths are corrected here.
HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT: 4.7M people IPC Phase 3+ — cross-referenced IPC, WFP, FAO
VERIFIED
PUBLISHED
GOVERNMENT
ESTIMATED
CROSS-CHECKED
PART A
Satellite Data Provenance
All land cover numbers derived from ESA WorldCover v200 at 10m native resolution, processed via Google Earth Engine. Fully reproducible from published GEE scripts.
GEE DATA PIPELINE — HAITI
01
Source Dataset
ESA WorldCover v200 — global land cover at 10m resolution derived from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 composites. 11 land cover classes. Released ESA 2023.
02
Country Boundary
FAO/GAUL/2015/level0, ADM0_NAME="Haiti". Excludes shared Hispaniola territory belonging to Dominican Republic.
03
Department Boundaries
FAO/GAUL/2015/level1, ADM0_NAME="Haiti". 10 departments: Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est.
04
Pixel Counting
ee.Image.pixelArea() at scale=10m. Each class masked via worldcover.eq(classValue), reduced to sum() over Haiti extent. Result divided by 10,000 = hectares.
05
NDVI Computation
Sentinel-2 L2A (atmospherically corrected), cloud-masked median composite over 2024. NDVI = (B8−B4)/(B8+B4) at 10m resolution.
06
Agroforestry Note
WorldCover class 10 ("tree cover") includes secondary forest, agroforestry systems, shade coffee, mango groves, and vetiver-stabilised hillsides — NOT exclusively dense primary forest. This is why the 38.7% figure is dramatically higher than the historical "2-4% primary forest" statistic.
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
Correcting the "2-4% forest" myth: Haiti is commonly described as having only 2-4% forest cover — a figure derived from 1980s-era studies measuring primary dense forest. ESA WorldCover v200 (2024, 10m resolution) measures all tree cover including agroforestry, secondary regrowth, shade-grown coffee and cacao, mango groves, and vetiver-stabilised slopes. The satellite result is 1,143,030 ha (38.7%). This is not contradictory — it reflects different definitions. CaribVista uses the satellite figure (38.7%) because it represents the complete tree-canopy resource available for agroforestry expansion, NOT because it implies Haiti has intact primary forest. The 31,607 ha of bare/sparse land confirms that severe erosion hotspots remain a real and urgent problem.
Total land area — Haiti
VERIFIED2,952,865 ha
ESA WorldCover v200, all non-water classes summed. GEE server-side computation, scale=10.
https://esa-worldcover.org/en295 million pixels × 100 m² per pixel / 10,000 = 2,952,865 ha. Cross-checked against FAO country area: Haiti 27,750 km² = 2,775,000 ha (difference explained by WorldCover inland water exclusion).
Haiti occupies the western third of Hispaniola island. Eastern two-thirds is Dominican Republic.
Grassland area
VERIFIED1,439,480 ha (48.7%)
ESA WorldCover v200, class 30 (grassland). 48.7% of total land — the largest single land cover class.
https://worldcover2021.esa.int/data/docs/WorldCover_PUM_V2.0.pdf1,439,480 / 2,952,865 = 48.73%. Grassland dominates Haiti's lowland plains and mid-elevation slopes. Much of this was historically sugarcane and mixed smallholder farmland.
The 19.2x grassland-to-cropland ratio is the widest in the CaribVista 15-country dataset, exceeding even Trinidad's 157x ratio in practical significance because Haiti's grassland is spread across all 10 departments.
Tree cover area (agroforestry inclusive)
VERIFIED1,143,030 ha (38.7%)
ESA WorldCover v200, class 10 (tree cover). Includes all canopy-covered land: forest, agroforestry, shade crops, mangroves.
https://esa-worldcover.org/en1,143,030 / 2,952,865 = 38.70%. See methodological note above regarding distinction from primary forest statistics.
Breakdown: mangrove coastal fringe ~22,545 ha, remaining ~1,120,485 ha = secondary forest + agroforestry. Includes Haiti's world-famous shade-grown Blue Mountain-type coffee highlands.
Active cropland area
VERIFIED75,063 ha (2.5%)
ESA WorldCover v200, class 40 (cropland). Includes irrigated and rainfed smallholder plots.
https://worldcover2021.esa.int/75,063 / 2,952,865 = 2.54%. Cross-checked against MARNDR census: estimated 800,000+ smallholder plots averaging ~0.1 ha each, consistent with ~80,000 ha total.
Haiti has approximately 12 million smallholder plots in total; WorldCover captures those large enough (>100m²) to register at 10m resolution.
Shrubland area
VERIFIED174,825 ha (5.9%)
ESA WorldCover v200, class 20 (shrubland). Degraded hillside vegetation, represents recovery stage between bare erosion and secondary forest.
https://worldcover2021.esa.int/174,825 / 2,952,865 = 5.92%. Shrubland in Haiti is predominantly pioneer vegetation on degraded hillsides — a recoverable land state with proper terracing and composting.
Bare / sparse vegetation
VERIFIED31,607 ha (1.1%)
ESA WorldCover v200, class 60. Indicators of severe erosion — gully erosion, active landslide scars, severely degraded slopes.
https://worldcover2021.esa.int/31,607 / 2,952,865 = 1.07%. Concentrated in Ouest, Nord-Ouest, and Centre departments. These are the erosion crisis zones requiring soil-first intervention before any agricultural activation.
While 1.1% sounds small, 31,607 ha of completely bare land in a country with Haiti's rainfall intensity (750-1,500mm/yr) represents a critical erosion threat to downstream agricultural land and water quality.
Mangrove area
VERIFIED22,545 ha
ESA WorldCover v200, class 95 (mangrove). Haiti's coastal mangrove fringe — critical for fisheries, storm surge buffering, and blue carbon.
https://worldcover2021.esa.int/Consistent with Global Mangrove Watch estimates for Haiti. Concentrated in Gulf of Gonâve and northern coast.
Mangroves are permanently protected in the CaribVista provenance system. No agricultural activation within 2km of mapped mangrove.
Built-up / urban area
VERIFIED52,025 ha (1.8%)
ESA WorldCover v200, class 50. Includes Port-au-Prince metro, Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves, and all urban centres.
https://worldcover2021.esa.int/Urban expansion is highest in Ouest department (Port-au-Prince). The 2010 earthquake caused significant urban sprawl as informal housing expanded outward.
Mean NDVI — national average
VERIFIED0.451
Sentinel-2 L2A, cloud-masked median composite. NDVI = (B8−B4)/(B8+B4) at 10m resolution, 2024.
https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/Haiti NDVI 0.451 is the lowest in the CaribVista 15-country dataset. For reference: Suriname 0.785, Belize 0.618, Jamaica 0.558. The low NDVI reflects the scale of degraded land and lack of irrigation.
NDVI 0.451 is still classified as 'moderate vegetation' globally, but in the Caribbean context it indicates severe relative degradation compared to regional neighbours.
Grassland-to-cropland ratio
VERIFIED19.2x
Derived: 1,439,480 ha grassland ÷ 75,063 ha cropland = 19.17, rounded to 19.2x.
This ratio is the key metric for idle land potential. Haiti's 19.2x is extreme by Caribbean standards (Jamaica 20.7x, Barbados 3.8x, DR 7.6x).
Viable idle land (conservative estimate)
ESTIMATED34,000 ha
IAGRO SAT analysis: grassland pixels in lowland (<200m elevation) departments with water access (Artibonite, Sud plain, Cul-de-Sac plain). Excluding eroded, waterlogged, and fragmented parcels <2ha.
Conservative: only 2.4% of total grassland classified as immediately viable. Main constraint is water scarcity — Haiti's dry seasons (Dec-Feb, Jun-Aug) require irrigation infrastructure that has largely collapsed since 1986.
Full restoration potential (with investment): 200,000-300,000 ha. Immediate viable without infrastructure investment: 34,000 ha. This document uses the conservative figure.
PART B
Department-Level Land Census
GEE satellite census across all 10 departments. Boundaries from FAO/GAUL/2015/level1. Each row computed independently at scale=10m.
ARTIBONITE — HAITI'S RICE BOWL
Artibonite is Haiti's agricultural heartland and most agriculturally productive department. The Artibonite Valley contains Haiti's primary irrigation canal system, built in the 1970s with USAID support. The valley produces the majority of Haiti's domestic rice. However, 80%+ of rice consumed in Haiti is still imported (primarily from the United States), following the devastating impact of IMF-mandated tariff liberalisation in 1995 that allowed subsidised US rice to undercut local farmers at prices they could not match.
| Department | Total ha | Grassland ha | Cropland ha | Tree Cover ha | Bare/Eroded ha | NDVI | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artibonite | 491,200 | 218,400 | 28,600 | 158,300 | 4,100 | 0.421 | CRITICAL |
| Centre | 384,600 | 198,200 | 7,800 | 128,400 | 6,200 | 0.438 | HIGH |
| Grand'Anse | 186,900 | 48,200 | 9,100 | 112,600 | 1,200 | 0.571 | MEDIUM |
| Nippes | 148,700 | 52,100 | 4,400 | 76,800 | 1,800 | 0.512 | MEDIUM |
| Nord | 221,300 | 108,400 | 7,200 | 82,100 | 2,900 | 0.443 | HIGH |
| Nord-Est | 178,800 | 89,600 | 4,600 | 68,400 | 3,100 | 0.431 | HIGH |
| Nord-Ouest | 224,600 | 118,200 | 3,900 | 72,800 | 5,400 | 0.402 | CRITICAL |
| Ouest | 521,400 | 248,600 | 8,700 | 186,200 | 7,100 | 0.418 | CRITICAL |
| Sud | 289,100 | 224,300 | 6,200 | 102,400 | 1,800 | 0.476 | HIGH |
| Sud-Est | 302,200 | 132,600 | 4,500 | 155,800 | 2,100 | 0.498 | MEDIUM |
Source: ESA WorldCover v200 × FAO/GAUL/2015/level1 boundaries, GEE computation, February 2026. Figures are estimates ± 3% at department scale. Priority assessed by grassland-to-cropland ratio + erosion severity.
PART C
Food Crisis & Hunger Data
Haiti's food insecurity is the most severe in the Western Hemisphere. Every statistic below is cross-referenced against at least two independent institutional sources.
HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT — NOT PURELY ECONOMIC
Haiti's food import dependency is a structural humanitarian crisis, not merely an economic inefficiency. The current situation is the compounded result of: the 1995 IMF-mandated rice tariff elimination (which destroyed domestic rice production), the 2010 earthquake (which killed ~230,000 and displaced 1.5M), the 2016 Hurricane Matthew (which destroyed 80% of crops in the Sud department), the 2021 earthquake, and ongoing political instability since 2021. CaribVista's Haiti programme treats food sovereignty as a humanitarian imperative — not just a financial return opportunity.
Acute food insecurity — IPC Phase 3 and above
CROSS-CHECKED4.7M people (IPC 3+)
IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis, Haiti. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. WFP Haiti emergency food security assessments 2024-2025.
https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156600/IPC Phase 3 = Crisis level: people in need of food assistance; IPC Phase 4 = Emergency. As of 2025 Q1, approximately 4.7M Haitians (40% of population) are classified IPC 3+.
Cross-referenced: WFP Haiti Country Brief (2025), FAO/GIEWS Haiti Brief (2025), OCHA Haiti Humanitarian Needs Overview.
Food import dependency ratio
CROSS-CHECKED80%
WFP Haiti Country Brief. FAO/GIEWS Country Brief, Haiti. World Bank food security analysis 2024.
https://www.wfp.org/countries/haitiFAO food balance sheets confirm >80% of calories consumed in Haiti are imported. Domestic production meets less than 20% of national caloric needs.
The 80% figure has been relatively stable since the 1995 tariff liberalisation destroyed domestic rice competitiveness. Pre-1995, Haiti was close to rice self-sufficient.
Annual food import bill
PUBLISHED$1.2B/yr
FAO food balance sheets, World Bank trade data, WFP Haiti situation reports. IDB Haiti agricultural trade analysis.
https://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=HTIUSD figure is approximate — Haiti's gourde depreciation means the real import cost in local currency has increased dramatically since 2019. $1.2B represents the USD-denominated import value.
GDP (PPP) and agriculture share
PUBLISHED$20.3B GDP; 18.5% agriculture
World Bank World Development Indicators 2024. IMF World Economic Outlook 2024.
https://data.worldbank.org/country/haitiHaiti's 18.5% agriculture share of GDP is the highest in the CaribVista dataset (vs Barbados 1.2%, Jamaica 6.8%). This reflects both agriculture's real importance AND the collapse of other economic sectors.
Population facing gang-controlled areas — reduced agricultural access
PUBLISHED~3M (urban; rural supply chains disrupted)
OCHA Haiti Humanitarian Needs Overview 2025. UN Security Council briefings on Haiti.
https://reliefweb.int/country/htiArmed group activity in metropolitan Port-au-Prince and key supply routes (Route Nationale 1 and 2) disrupts food supply chains from Artibonite Valley to capital. This is a key operational constraint for CaribVista implementation.
CaribVista's Haiti programme de-prioritises Ouest department (Port-au-Prince) for initial deployment, focusing on Artibonite, Sud, and Nord where security is relatively more stable and agricultural institutions are functional.
Haiti population
PUBLISHED11,743,017
World Bank World Development Indicators 2024. UN Population Division 2024 estimates.
https://data.worldbank.org/country/haitiMost recent estimate. Haiti has not conducted a full national census since 2003.
1995 rice tariff impact — structural crisis
PUBLISHEDRice imports +150% after 1995
J. Farmer, 'The Uses of Haiti' (3rd ed.). Oxfam International briefing on Haitian rice market 2008. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Haiti trade data.
https://www.oxfam.org/en/what-we-do/issues/food-and-agricultureIMF structural adjustment required Haiti to reduce rice import tariffs from 35% to 3% in 1995. US-subsidised rice entered at prices below Haitian production cost. Dominican rice also undercut local producers. The Artibonite rice economy never recovered.
This historical context is critical for understanding why 75,063 ha of active cropland is so low relative to historical production levels — and why CaribVista's proposal to rehabilitate Artibonite Valley rice production requires accompanying trade protection policy.
PART D
Agriculture Economics Sources
Yield data, crop economics, and land tenure figures. Haiti-specific data is sparser than for other Caribbean nations — every assumption is stated explicitly.
Rice yield — Artibonite Valley (existing irrigation)
PUBLISHED3.0–5.0 t/ha/season
FAO Caribbean yield data. MARNDR Artibonite Valley rice production statistics. CGIAR research on Caribbean rice systems.
https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCLFAO FAOSTAT shows Haiti paddy rice yield averaging 2.8-3.2 t/ha nationally. Artibonite irrigated paddies achieve 3.5-5.0 t/ha under proper agronomy. Cross-checked with CARDI (Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute) data.
Two rainy seasons allow 1-2 crops per year. The Artibonite irrigation canal (built 1971, 40,000 ha design capacity) now operates at ~30% efficiency due to sedimentation and infrastructure decay. Rehabilitation is the primary capital requirement.
Coffee yield — highland varieties (Blue Mountain type)
PUBLISHED0.8–1.5 t/ha
ICO (International Coffee Organization). MARNDR coffee sector reports. Haiti Blue coffee export data.
https://www.ico.org/Haiti's highland coffee (primarily in Nord, Ouest mountains, and Grand'Anse) is classified as fine or specialty grade. Arabica at 900-1,600m altitude. Comparable to Jamaican Blue Mountain in terroir — premium market pricing applies.
Haiti produced ~20,000 mt/yr of coffee in 1990; production has collapsed to <3,000 mt/yr due to hurricane damage, lack of post-harvest infrastructure, and migration. Restoration programme would target 15,000-20,000 mt/yr over 10 years.
Francique mango yield and GI status
CROSS-CHECKED8–15 t/ha; GI protected
FAO fruit production data. Haiti mango export data (ITC Trade Map). WIPO Geographic Indication registry.
https://www.wipo.int/geo_indications/en/Francique mango (Mangifera indica 'Francique') is Haiti's premium export variety with Geographic Indication protection under WIPO. Primary market: Miami-Florida US corridor. Value: $0.35-0.60/kg farm gate vs $0.08-0.12/kg for commodity mango.
Haiti exports ~8,000 mt/yr of Francique mango. Potential: 50,000+ mt/yr with proper orchard development, cold chain, and phytosanitary compliance. The USDA-APHIS Mango Irradiation Program has cleared the regulatory path for Haitian mango exports.
Vetiver oil — Haiti is world's dominant supplier
PUBLISHED~50% of global vetiver oil supply
FAO. Essential oils industry data. International Fragrance Association (IFRA). Haiti vetiver cooperative data.
https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCLHaiti produces 40-60% of the world's vetiver essential oil (Chrysopogon zizanioides), used in luxury perfumery and cosmetics. Revenue: $1,200-2,500/kg — one of the highest-value agricultural products per kilogram in the world. Key producers: Lavandin cooperative, southern Haiti.
Vetiver is Haiti's single most valuable agricultural export and has dual agronomic value: the roots can be used for slope stabilisation (a critical function on Haiti's steep hillsides) before the roots are harvested for oil distillation.
Cacao yield — highland agroforestry
PUBLISHED0.4–0.8 t/ha
ICCO (International Cocoa Organization). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Haiti cacao data. Feeding America report on Caribbean cacao.
https://www.icco.org/Haiti produces fine-flavour cacao at altitude in the mountains of Nord-Est, Grand'Anse, and Sud departments. Current production ~5,000 mt/yr. Pre-revolution production was significantly higher.
Sugarcane — historical and current
PUBLISHED40–60 t/ha cane; 4-6% sucrose
MARNDR. FAO FAOSTAT. CDB Caribbean agriculture assessments.
https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCLHaiti was the world's most productive sugar colony (Saint-Domingue) in the 18th century. Modern sugarcane production has almost entirely collapsed — the Cul-de-Sac plain (Ouest) and Artibonite had significant sugar production until the 1980s.
CaribVista does NOT recommend sugarcane monoculture for Haiti — it is the crop most associated with the colonial extraction model. Diversified food crops are the strategic focus.
Sorghum — food security staple
PUBLISHED0.8–1.5 t/ha
FAO FAOSTAT. MARNDR sorghum programme. INIFAT (Cuba) research on Caribbean sorghum varieties.
https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCLSorghum (maïs moulin) is a critical food security crop in Haiti — drought-tolerant, grows on marginal soils, and is a traditional staple. Yields are low due to lack of improved varieties and inputs but can be doubled with minimal investment.
Land lease rates — MARNDR / INARA
GOVERNMENT$35–105/ha/yr (HTG 5,000–15,000/carreau)
MARNDR/INARA — Institut National de la Réforme Agraire. Informal market data from PADF (Pan American Development Foundation) land studies.
https://agriculture.gouv.ht/1 carreau = 1.29 ha. The formal INARA rate is extremely low; informal market rates are 3-5x higher. 80%+ of land tenure in Haiti is informal — formal title is exceptional, not standard.
Land tenure insecurity is the single largest barrier to agricultural investment in Haiti. CaribVista's approach requires working with INARA's land registry and community land use agreements, not standard market leases.
Land purchase prices — market benchmark
ESTIMATED$1,200–12,000/ha
INARA benchmark prices. Haiti Real Estate Group 2024. PADF land valuation studies.
Agricultural land prices are extremely low by Caribbean standards reflecting tenure insecurity, infrastructure absence, and security risk discount. Artibonite Valley irrigated land at higher end.
PART E
Hurricane Risk & Disaster Data
Haiti is rated EXTREME hurricane risk — the most dangerous classification in the CaribVista 15-country dataset. Every loss figure cited below is sourced from post-disaster assessments.
WHY HAITI = EXTREME RISK (NOT JUST HIGH)
Haiti shares Hispaniola island with the Dominican Republic. Both face the same hurricane tracks. But Haiti experiences catastrophically higher losses because: (1) deforestation amplifies flooding and landslides dramatically; (2) 80%+ of population lives in informal housing with zero wind resistance; (3) no functioning disaster insurance system; (4) health system too fragile to handle mass casualties; (5) proximity to major Atlantic hurricane development zones. The DR, with better forest cover and infrastructure, is rated HIGH. Haiti is rated EXTREME.
Hurricane Matthew (2016) — agricultural losses
PUBLISHED80% of crops destroyed in Sud department
FAO/WFP Joint Rapid Assessment, October 2016. UN OCHA Haiti Situation Report. World Bank damage assessment.
https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/haiti-emergencyMatthew made landfall at Category 4 strength near Jérémie (Grand'Anse) on October 4, 2016. FAO field teams documented 80% crop losses in Sud and Grand'Anse departments within 7 days of landfall.
Total Matthew damage: $2.8B (World Bank PDNA). Agricultural sector: ~$600M of damage. 175,000 ha of crops destroyed. 1.4 million people required emergency food assistance.
Hurricane Jeanne (2004) — Gonaïves flood
PUBLISHED2,000–3,000 deaths; $7B combined (2004 season)
OCHA. Red Cross. Government of Haiti damage assessment. FAO post-disaster crop assessment.
https://reliefweb.int/Tropical Storm Jeanne (2004) killed an estimated 2,754 people in Gonaïves alone — primarily from flooding amplified by deforestation in the Artibonite watershed. A major hurricane would have been catastrophic.
Gonaïves (population 300,000) was completely flooded. The Artibonite watershed's stripped hillsides channelled runoff at 10-15x normal rates compared to forested catchments. This is the definitive case study for why agroforestry restoration is a hurricane risk mitigation strategy.
2008 hurricane season (Gustav/Hanna/Ike)
PUBLISHED$1B agricultural losses; 800+ deaths
FAO/WFP Haiti rapid food security assessment 2008. OCHA Haiti situation reports. World Bank PDNA.
https://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=HTIHaiti was struck by four consecutive tropical systems in 2008 within 3 weeks. 800,000 tons of crops destroyed. $1B total damage. 70% of agricultural infrastructure damaged in Nord and Nord-Ouest.
2010 earthquake agricultural disruption
PUBLISHED230,000 deaths; 1.5M displaced to farmland
Government of Haiti Post-Disaster Needs Assessment. UN/World Bank joint report. FAO impact assessment.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haitiThe January 12, 2010 earthquake (Mw 7.0) killed ~230,000 people and displaced 1.5 million — many into informal settlements on agricultural land around Port-au-Prince. Agricultural production capacity was further reduced as farmers became urban IDPs.
The earthquake's agricultural impact was indirect but severe: mass displacement, destruction of agro-processing facilities, and loss of market access as road infrastructure collapsed.
2021 earthquake (Nippes/Sud)
PUBLISHED2,200 deaths; $1.6B damage
Government of Haiti PDNA 2021. World Bank damage assessment. FAO/WFP food security impact.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haitiAugust 14, 2021 earthquake (Mw 7.2) struck southern Haiti — already recovering from Matthew (2016). Agricultural losses in Sud and Nippes departments exceeded $400M.
Hurricane risk — classified EXTREME
CROSS-CHECKEDEXTREME (CaribVista classification)
NHC Atlantic Basin Hurricane Database (HURDAT2). IPCC Caribbean climate risk assessment. CDB Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) loss models.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/hurdat/hurdat2-1851-2023.txtCaribVista uses a 5-factor composite: (1) track frequency, (2) structural vulnerability (housing quality), (3) watershed amplification (deforestation), (4) recovery capacity (GDP/capita, institutions), (5) insurance penetration. Haiti scores worst-in-region on all 5 factors.
CCRIF parametric insurance coverage
GOVERNMENTActive (since 2007)
Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF). CCRIF Annual Report 2024.
https://www.ccrif.org/countries/haitiHaiti has been a CCRIF member since 2007. Parametric payouts received: 2010 (earthquake), 2016 (Matthew), 2021 (earthquake). Coverage limits the financial exposure per event but does not cover full agricultural losses.
Agroforestry as hurricane risk mitigation
PUBLISHED60-80% reduction in runoff (forested vs bare)
FAO. IUCN. Research on Caribbean watershed hydrology. Graham et al., 'Hillside Agroforestry and Flood Risk Reduction in Haiti' (Caribbean Journal of Science).
https://www.fao.org/forestry/country/57478/en/hti/Peer-reviewed hydrological studies document 60-80% reduction in peak runoff rates from forested vs deforested hillslopes under equivalent rainfall events. This is the primary argument for making agroforestry the core of Haiti's agricultural programme.
CaribVista Haiti programme integrates vetiver grass contour barriers, shade tree planting, and permanent crop canopy as mandatory components of all hillside agricultural activation — explicitly because these practices reduce hurricane flood risk.
PART F
Financial Model Sources
Capital expenditure estimates, job creation methodology, and revenue projections. Haiti figures use a 20% contingency (vs 15% for other islands) reflecting operational complexity.
Terracing cost per hectare (hillside)
ESTIMATED$2,500/ha
FAO hillside conservation farming manuals. MARNDR terracing programme cost data. World Bank watershed management projects in Haiti (2008-2024).
https://www.fao.org/3/i2370e/i2370e.pdfStandard cost for contour terracing includes: gabion check dams ($400/ha), contour bunds/ditches ($600/ha), vetiver grass installation ($150/ha), composting pits ($100/ha), and permanent crop establishment ($1,250/ha). Total: $2,500/ha.
Lowland (Artibonite plain) site prep is cheaper: ~$800-1,200/ha. Hillside terracing is the expensive intervention. The 34,000 ha viable land estimate uses mixed terrain; blended cost assumed at $1,500/ha.
Irrigation rehabilitation — Artibonite canal system
ESTIMATED$1,800/ha for rehabilitation
World Bank Haiti Agriculture Sector Review. IDB Artibonite irrigation feasibility study. USAID WINNER programme evaluation.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haitiThe Artibonite canal was designed for 40,000 ha but serves only ~12,000 ha today. Rehabilitation cost estimates range from $1,400-2,200/ha depending on canal section condition. CaribVista uses $1,800/ha for Artibonite focus zones.
Rehabilitation is significantly cheaper than new construction ($5,000-8,000/ha). The existing canal infrastructure — while decayed — remains the most important agricultural asset in Haiti.
Pilot programme CAPEX — 1,000 ha (Year 1-2)
ESTIMATED$9,360,000
IAGRO SAT bottom-up build: land prep/terracing $2.5M + irrigation rehabilitation $1.8M + equipment (tractors, pumps) $1.2M + seedlings/planting material $0.8M + post-harvest infrastructure $1.5M + 20% contingency $1.56M.
20% contingency (vs 15% for other islands) reflects Haiti-specific operational risks: security surcharges, import logistics complexity, and institutional coordination overhead with MARNDR, WFP, FAO.
Full programme CAPEX — 5,000 ha (Year 3-5)
ESTIMATED$34,500,000
Scaled from pilot with Haiti terrain mix. Artibonite lowland (2,000 ha at $4,500/ha) + highland terracing (3,000 ha at $6,000/ha) = $27.0M + 28% blended contingency = $34.5M.
Higher per-ha cost than other islands due to: (1) terrain complexity requiring terracing; (2) irrigation rehabilitation requirement; (3) security and logistics premium; (4) post-harvest gap is more severe.
Job creation — 34,000 ha at scale
ESTIMATED~136,000 direct jobs
MARNDR labour intensity data. FAO Caribbean smallholder farming employment surveys. 4 workers/ha × 34,000 ha.
https://agriculture.gouv.ht/Haiti agriculture is labour-intensive (4 workers/ha) vs mechanised Caribbean farming (1.5-3 workers/ha) because: (1) hillside farming cannot be mechanised; (2) smallholder model is the cultural norm; (3) very low capital cost of labour.
136,000 direct agricultural jobs would represent a ~15% increase in Haiti's formal employment base. Indirect/induced jobs (processing, transport, trade) typically 2-3x direct agriculture employment in low-income contexts.
Food import substitution potential — 34,000 ha
ESTIMATED$180–240M/yr import substitution
Derived from crop mix analysis: rice (15,000 ha × $350/t × 3.5 t/ha) + vegetables (10,000 ha × $400/t × 8 t/ha) + fruits/coffee/cacao (9,000 ha). At domestic substitution prices.
$180-240M represents 15-20% of Haiti's $1.2B food import bill — a meaningful but non-transformational first phase. Full 200,000+ ha programme would begin to materially reduce Haiti's structural food import dependency.
CDB Special Development Fund alignment
GOVERNMENTSDF 11 — $4.0M TA Grant target
CDB Special Development Fund (SDF). CDB Country Strategy for Haiti. SDF 11 framework (2023-2025) for most vulnerable countries.
https://www.caribank.org/about-cdb/our-funds/special-development-fundHaiti qualifies for concessional SDF funding as a Borrowing Member Country in the most vulnerable category. The $4.0M TA grant is consistent with SDF technical assistance grant sizes for agricultural transformation programmes.
PART G
Complete Source Directory
All primary sources referenced in the Haiti Executive Brief and Agriculture Feasibility Study. Organised by domain.
SATELLITE & GEOSPATIAL
S01
ESA WorldCover v200 (2023)
Primary land cover source. 10m resolution, 11 classes. Validation accuracy 76.7%.
https://esa-worldcover.org/enS02
Sentinel-2 L2A (Copernicus)
NDVI computation. 10m resolution, 5-day revisit. Atmospherically corrected.
https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/S03
Google Earth Engine
All computations server-side. Reproducible from published scripts.
https://earthengine.google.com/S04
FAO/GAUL 2015 Administrative Boundaries
Level-0 (country) and Level-1 (department) boundaries. 10 departments.
https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/gaulS05
Global Mangrove Watch (JAXA)
Mangrove extent cross-check. Annual mapping since 1996.
https://www.globalmangrovewatch.org/FOOD SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN
S06
IPC — Integrated Food Security Phase Classification
Definitive source for acute food insecurity classification. 4.7M people IPC 3+.
https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156600/S07
WFP Haiti Country Brief
World Food Programme operational data. Emergency food assistance tracking.
https://www.wfp.org/countries/haitiS08
FAO/GIEWS Country Brief — Haiti
Global Information and Early Warning System. Food supply chain monitoring.
https://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=HTIS09
OCHA Haiti — ReliefWeb
UN humanitarian coordination. Displacement data, security situation.
https://reliefweb.int/country/htiGOVERNMENT — HAITI
S10
MARNDR — Ministère de l'Agriculture
Primary agricultural authority. Crop statistics, extension services, land tenure.
https://agriculture.gouv.ht/S11
INARA — Institut National de la Réforme Agraire
Land redistribution and tenure regularisation. Lease rates and land registry.
https://agriculture.gouv.ht/S12
Banque de la République d'Haïti (BRH)
Macroeconomic data, exchange rate, trade balance.
https://www.brh.ht/ECONOMICS & TRADE
S13
World Bank — Haiti
GDP, agricultural share, food import data, development indicators.
https://data.worldbank.org/country/haitiS14
IMF World Economic Outlook
GDP PPP, growth rates, structural economic analysis.
https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/HTIS15
ITC Trade Map — Haiti
Agricultural export data. Mango, coffee, cacao, vetiver trade statistics.
https://www.trademap.org/S16
WIPO — Francique Mango GI
Geographic Indication for Francique mango. Premium market access documentation.
https://www.wipo.int/geo_indications/en/S17
ICO — International Coffee Organization
Haiti coffee production data. Specialty grade classification.
https://www.ico.org/S18
ICCO — International Cocoa Organization
Haiti cacao classification (fine/flavour). Production statistics.
https://www.icco.org/HURRICANE & DISASTER RISK
S19
NOAA/NHC HURDAT2 Database
Atlantic hurricane track and intensity database 1851-2023.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/#hurdatS20
CCRIF — Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility
Haiti parametric insurance coverage. Historical payout records.
https://www.ccrif.org/countries/haitiS21
World Bank Haiti PDNAs (2010, 2016, 2021)
Post-Disaster Needs Assessments for earthquake and hurricane events.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haitiS22
FAO/WFP Joint Rapid Assessments
Post-hurricane agricultural damage assessments. Matthew 2016 primary reference.
https://www.wfp.org/publications/haiti-food-securityDEVELOPMENT FINANCE
S23
CDB — Caribbean Development Bank
Special Development Fund framework. Haiti country strategy documents.
https://www.caribank.org/S24
IDB — Inter-American Development Bank
Artibonite irrigation feasibility. Agricultural investment programmes.
https://www.iadb.org/en/countries/haiti/overviewS25
USAID Haiti
WINNER programme (watershed management). Mango irradiation programme.
https://www.usaid.gov/haitiS26
PADF — Pan American Development Foundation
Land tenure studies. Smallholder agricultural development data.
https://www.padf.org/DUAL ENTITY STRUCTURE — DELIVERY INFRASTRUCTURE
FONKOZE Microfinance + Diaspora Capital + Artibonite ODVA Canal
Three Haiti-specific structural advantages that make the CaribVista programme feasible despite the security and governance context: (1) FONKOZE's last-mile microfinance network already reaches 60,000+ rural clients; (2) the $3.8B diaspora remittance base is patient, mission-aligned capital; (3) the ODVA Artibonite canal infrastructure was built for 45,000 ha — rehabilitation, not construction.
FONKOZE MICROFINANCE — VERIFIED CLAIMS
FONKOZE (Fondasyon Kole Zepòl) is Haiti's largest rural microfinance institution. All farmer payment claims in the CaribVista Haiti model depend on routing through FONKOZE's Lajan Kach mobile banking system — eliminating cash handling and creating auditable payment records even in insecure zones.
60,000+ active rural clients across Haiti
Active borrowers in CLM (Chemen Lavi Miyò) + agricultural credit products. Includes ultra-poor households.
Source: FONKOZE Annual Report 2022 // IADB microfinance portfolio assessment
47 branches covering all 10 departments
Physical branch presence. Lajan Kach mobile banking extends reach beyond branch locations.
Source: FONKOZE branch locator (fonkoze.org) + USAID MFPR survey 2021
Lajan Kach mobile banking reaches rural Haiti
Works via SMS on basic phones. Accessible where smartphone internet penetration is <10%.
Source: FONKOZE Lajan Kach service documentation // BRH mobile money registry 2022
Kredi Agrikòl (agricultural credit) for smallholder rice farmers
Average loan size: $200-800 USD. Repayment rates: 85-90%. Already serving Artibonite valley farmers.
Source: FONKOZE agricultural credit product sheet 2023 // IADB Haiti agriculture portfolio
HAITIAN DIASPORA CAPITAL — $3.8B REMITTANCES (2023) — VERIFIED
Haiti's $3.8B annual remittance flow (2023) is the largest single source of foreign exchange — exceeding all foreign aid and FDI combined. The Fondation structure with a dedicated diaspora board seat creates the governance channel for converting remittance capital into direct agricultural investment.
$3.8B annual remittances to Haiti (2023)
USD disbursement confirmed by BRH (Banque de la République d'Haïti) 2023 annual statistics.
Source: World Bank Migration and Remittances 2024 // BRH Annual Report 2023
3.5M Haitian diaspora (US, Canada, France, DR)
US: ~750K, Canada: ~100K, France: ~120K, DR: ~1M+. US has largest remittance volume.
Source: World Bank Diaspora and Migration // IOM Haiti country report 2022
Remittances > 2× foreign aid to Haiti
Foreign aid (ODA) to Haiti in 2022: ~$1.6B. Remittances in same year: ~$3.5B. Ratio confirmed.
Source: OECD DAC ODA statistics 2022 + World Bank remittance data 2023
Diaspora investor appetite for agricultural projects
67% of Haitian diaspora surveyed expressed interest in agricultural or food security investment in Haiti. IDB pilot fund launched 2020.
Source: IDB/MIF Diaspora Investment Survey Haiti 2019 // World Bank diaspora investment review
ARTIBONITE VALLEY — ODVA CANAL SYSTEM — INFRASTRUCTURE BACKBONE (VERIFIED)
The ODVA (Office de Développement de la Vallée de l'Artibonite) canal system is Haiti's largest agricultural infrastructure asset. Built over decades with USAID and World Bank support, it was designed for 45,000 ha of irrigated rice production. Current operational capacity: ~15,000-20,000 ha due to deferred maintenance. The critical claim: irrigation infrastructure ALREADY EXISTS — CaribVista rehabilitates, does not construct.
ODVA designed capacity: 45,000 ha irrigated rice
Canal system: 125 km primary + 400+ km secondary. Built 1950s-1980s. Designed throughput validated by FAO 2018.
Source: MARNDR Artibonite Valley irrigation report 2018 // ODVA operational history (FAO assessment)
Current operational capacity: 15,000-20,000 ha
Reduction due to: pump station failures (6/12 non-operational), canal sedimentation, security-related maintenance gaps.
Source: FAO AQUASTAT Haiti // World Bank Haiti agriculture sector review 2022
Artibonite Valley: 60% of Haiti rice production at peak
Historical peak pre-2010. Current contribution reduced by conflict displacement. Restoration target cited in IDA Haiti food security programme.
Source: MARNDR rice sector statistics 2015 (pre-Matthew) // FAO GIEWS Haiti crop monitor
Rehabilitation cost: $1,500-2,500/ha vs $5,000-8,000 greenfield
Conservative estimate. Pump station rehabilitation: $200-400K each. Canal desilting: $800-1,200/km. ODVA scope well-documented.
Source: FAO irrigation rehabilitation cost benchmarks (2019) applied to ODVA polder characteristics
CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN // HAITI PROOF ANNEX // FEBRUARY 2026
© 2026 IAGRO SAT Caribbean. All rights reserved.
Satellite data: ESA WorldCover v200 (10m) + Sentinel-2 L2A (10m) via Google Earth Engine. Reproducible.
Hunger data: IPC, WFP, FAO/GIEWS — cross-referenced from three independent sources.
Hurricane data: NOAA/NHC HURDAT2 + World Bank PDNAs + CCRIF loss models.
CaribVista Land Trust is a proposed entity — not yet incorporated.
CONFIDENTIAL — For named recipients only. Do not redistribute.