FOOD 101: Introduction FROM SOIL TO TABLE
As with everything in Haiti, nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
Because food is deeply cultural it tells a much bigger story than what ends up on our plates. It’s how we express our emotions, how we gather, how we care for one another, and how we express dignity. e.g. even employers will often provide a meal at work—not only because food can be expensive or difficult to access, but because feeding someone is itself an expression of cultural care.
Despite the country’s very real food-security challenges, Haiti maintains a significant domestic agricultural sector. In fact, regional estimates identify Haiti—alongside Guyana and Belize—as one of only three Caribbean countries that produce more than half of the food they consume. That is particularly notable in a region that imports much of its food.
But growing food is only one part of feeding a country.
Haiti’s food system faces significant pressures, including climate shocks, insecurity, rising prices, dependence on imports, and longstanding gaps in agricultural infrastructure. Food grown by Haitian farmers must still be stored, processed, transported, sold, and ultimately reach consumers. Inadequate roads, irrigation, storage, processing facilities, and other infrastructure contribute to agricultural losses and make an already complicated supply chain even more difficult.
So Haiti’s food story isn’t simply one of scarcity. It is also a story about systems: what is grown, who grows it, how it moves, what is lost along the way, who sells it, who transforms it, and what ultimately reaches the table.
Food begins in the soil and moves through the hands of farmers, market women, transporters, entrepreneurs, cooks, and families before it ever reaches the table.
In this edition of Klas nan Sesyon, we’re following that journey through Haiti’s economy and everyday life—exploring what we grow, how food creates livelihoods and businesses, what we eat, and the traditions that turn a meal into something we share.
Along the way, we’ll look at the people, knowledge, businesses, culture, and economic systems behind the food that nourishes Haiti.
- Food We Grow → Read Now
Where does Haiti’s food actually come from? We’ll explore Haitian agriculture, the people who grow our food, the crops and ingredients produced across the country, and some of the opportunities and challenges involved in getting food from the soil to the next stop in the food system. - Food We Sell → Read Now
Long before food reaches a kitchen, it moves through an economy. We’ll look at the machann, traders, transporters, markets, and small businesses that move food across Haiti—and the important role women play in turning what is grown into income for their families and communities. - Food We Make → Read Now
An ingredient can become much more valuable once someone transforms it. From cooks and bakers to caterers, processors, restaurants, and chefs, we’ll explore the entrepreneurship behind preparing and transforming food—and how culinary knowledge can become a business. - Food We Eat → Read Now
What’s actually making it onto Haitian plates? We’ll look at nutrition, affordability, access, local and imported foods, and the household decisions that determine what families are able to eat. - Food We Share → Read Now
In Haiti, food isn’t only nourishment or commerce. It’s also how we gather, celebrate, mourn, welcome, remember, and care for one another. We’ll explore the foods and traditions that bring people around the table—and what they tell us about Haitian culture, community, and belonging.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Haiti Country Profile — Agriculture, rural livelihoods, food imports, infrastructure, storage and post-harvest losses.
- CARICOM, Regional Agriculture and Food Security — Regional food-import dependence and the identification of Haiti, Guyana, and Belize as Caribbean countries producing more than half of the food they consume.
- World Bank, Agriculture and Food Accessibility in Haiti — Agricultural productivity, market access, irrigation, post-harvest technologies, storage, and climate resilience.
- FEWS NET, Haiti Food Security Outlook — Current and historical analysis of food availability, prices, agricultural production, household purchasing power, and food insecurity.