Find Secours Catholique — Caritas France at the checkout in Maisons du Monde stores as part of the ARRONDI en caisse scheme

A closer look at the forest preservation project led by Secours Catholique — Caritas France

With almost 60% of the population living below the poverty line and more than 4 million people in a situation of severe food insecurity, Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. Regular natural disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods) diminish harvests and cause the population’s needs to no longer be met, leading to accelerated deforestation.

In this context, Secours Catholique — Caritas France is helping to improve local communities’ living conditions with regards to food security, resilience to natural disasters, and climate change, among other issues, while preserving and restoring the last of the island’s forests.

The Maisons du Monde Foundation is supporting Secours Catholique — Caritas France in its efforts to promote agroecology and protect the environment within six communities across five of the island’s regions. The funds provided will make it possible to:

• Raise awareness among at least 90% of families in these communities of the impacts of deforestation and the importance of protecting biodiversity
• Restore forest cover by creating community nurseries and by planting 140,000 trees
• Provide rural populations with training in agroecology and agroforestry techniques
• Reduce the vulnerability of at least 50 hectares of natural and agricultural spaces to erosion
• Purchase seeds and animals to ensure the food security of families in six communities
• Organise six exchange visits between groups and develop four mutual solidarity systems within affected communities