In the heart of northern Haiti, where drought and political instability have long threatened rural life, a quiet revolution is taking root. The Jean Marie Vincent Center, founded just two years ago in the town of Pignon, has already trained over 70 farmers in agroecological techniques and seed preservation—offering a powerful alternative to dependency and hunger.

Backed by the historic Tet Kole Ti Peyizan Ayisyen movement, the center promotes the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and tubers using methods that are both ancestral and climate-resilient. “We want farmers to have real food, free of pesticides, and to pass on this knowledge that respects the land and our culture,” said Jonas Paul, a Tet Kole leader.

The center also develops agroforestry systems and irrigation networks, vital in a region historically plagued by water scarcity. “This is a way of planting that is both traditional and adapted to climate change,” Paul emphasized.

Tet Kole, founded clandestinely in 1977 under the Duvalier dictatorship, has long been a voice for Haiti’s rural poor. After the fall of the regime in 1986, the movement emerged as a national force advocating for agrarian reform and food sovereignty. “Our initial struggle was for equal rights for peasants,” recalled Bellot Fontulmé, a veteran member of the movement.

The Pignon center follows in the footsteps of a similar project launched near Port-au-Prince in 1987, which was shuttered in 2024 due to gang violence. Today, Pignon has become a beacon of resilience, offering seeds, training, and solidarity to farmers across the region.

But the struggle is far from over. After the 2010 earthquake, Monsanto attempted to introduce 500 tons of patented seeds into Haiti. Fearing dependency and ecological disruption, 20,000 farmers marched in protest and successfully blocked the initiative. “We studied those seeds and saw they didn’t work,” said Chavannes Jr. Baptiste, founder of the Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP).

In a country often labeled the “poorest in the Western Hemisphere,” Haiti’s peasant movements are rewriting the narrative. “We want to show the state that we are a model—feeding people healthily and affordably, respecting nature, and promoting women’s inclusion,” said Fontulmé.

As Haiti faces record hunger levels and foreign intervention looms, the Jean Marie Vincent Center stands as a living testament to grassroots solutions. Its message is clear: sovereignty begins with the seed, and dignity grows from the soil.

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