Hope Rises In Haiti’s Rice Fields

Felipe Jacome spent more than a year traveling around Haiti photographing the country’s grass-roots groups at work. He was moved by the energy of the nonprofits he encountered.

“What you see is organized groups of people figuring out very local ways to respond to Haiti’s problems,” he says.

When Mr. Jacome photographed a rice farmer in Haiti’s Artibonite Valley as part of the documentary series, he sought to capture more than just a great shot.

“The farmer you see here is part of a local rice cooperative that’s doing really great work in teaching locals how to grow and produce rice,” he explains. The image of a farmer outlined in Haiti’s dazzling early-morning light spoke to Mr. Jacome for another reason. “Haiti went from being a leading exporter of rice to importing cheap rice that undercuts all of the local farmers. The cooperative is working to change that,” he says.

The full name of the rice cooperative, the Network of Cooperative Associations for the Production and Commercialisation of Lower Artibonite, is a mouthful for an organization with a straightforward mission: to help local farmers through technical assistance and microcredit.

“The rice farmers are able to see for themselves that they can actually spend less but get a much higher yield,” says Tonny Joseph, an advocacy and research coordinator for Oxfam America, which supports the effort with grants.

Local efforts are key to Haiti’s future, says Shari Turitz, vice president for international programs at the American Jewish World Service, which has given more than $6 million to grassroots organizations in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake. “International support is important,” she says. “But without sustained effort by people on the ground, change will never be sustainable.”