Call for EOIs: Smallholder Agricultural Market Support Program (Haiti)

The World Food Programme (WFP) is seeking partner organisations to strengthen smallholder farmers and agricultural producer organisations in Haiti’s Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est departments. The Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) program will support 5,900 smallholder producers, at least 51% women, across 60 producer organisations, focusing on agricultural productivity, climate-smart farming, post-harvest management, market access, infrastructure, and links to school feeding programmes.

What Is the WFP Smallholder Agricultural Market Support Program?

The Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) program is a WFP initiative designed to strengthen local agricultural production and improve market opportunities for smallholder farmers in Haiti.

The programme is integrated into the WFP Haiti Country Strategic Plan 2024–2028.

It focuses on three departments:

The programme aims to connect agricultural production with reliable markets while strengthening farmers’ technical, organisational, financial, and commercial capacities.

Why the Program Is Needed

Haiti’s Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est departments have strong agricultural potential because of their favourable agroecological conditions.

However, smallholder producers face multiple barriers that limit productivity and income.

Key challenges include:

• Soil degradation
• Climate change and climate-related risks
• Limited agricultural infrastructure
• High post-harvest losses
• Insufficient storage capacity
• Limited access to markets
• Weak value-chain connections
• Food insecurity among rural households
• Limited access to financial and business-management skills

These challenges can prevent farmers from converting agricultural production into stable and sustainable income.

Main Goal of the SAMS Program

The central objective is to build a more productive, resilient, inclusive, and market-oriented agricultural system.

The programme will strengthen:

• Farmer productivity
• Producer organisations
• Agricultural infrastructure
• Post-harvest management
• Market access
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Value-chain development
• Women’s economic participation
• Connections with institutional buyers

The approach combines agricultural development with food-security and nutrition objectives.

Who Will Benefit?

The programme is expected to reach approximately 5,900 smallholder agricultural producers.

At least 51% of beneficiaries will be women.

Producers will be organised through approximately 60 agricultural producer organisations (OPAs).

The programme therefore targets both individual farmers and the organisations through which farmers produce, market, and sell agricultural products.

Key Areas of Support

Agricultural Infrastructure

Partner organisations may support the construction or rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure needed to improve production and post-harvest handling.

Infrastructure investments can help producer organisations improve the quality, storage, handling, and marketing of agricultural products.

Storage and Quality Control

The programme will provide or strengthen access to:

• Storage facilities
• Agricultural equipment
• Quality-control equipment
• Post-harvest management systems

Improved storage and quality management can help reduce losses and increase the amount of locally produced food available for markets and institutional buyers.

Good Agricultural Practices

Farmer leaders will receive training in practical agricultural techniques.

Training areas include:

• Good agricultural practices
• Soil conservation
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Post-harvest management
• Financial management
• Organisational development

These skills are intended to improve productivity while helping farmers respond to environmental and market risks.

Connecting Farmers With School Feeding Programs

One of the distinctive elements of the SAMS approach is the connection between local agricultural production and school feeding programmes.

Local producer organisations can become suppliers of agricultural products used in school meals.

This creates a potential dual benefit:

For farmers: more predictable institutional demand and commercial opportunities.

For schools and children: greater access to locally produced food that can contribute to improved nutrition and learning outcomes.

The approach therefore links agriculture, food security, nutrition, education, and local economic development.

Market Integration and Value Chains

The programme aims to move farmers beyond production alone and strengthen their position throughout agricultural value chains.

Activities may facilitate connections between:

• Smallholder farmers
• Producer organisations
• Processors
• Traders
• Institutional buyers
• School feeding programmes

The programme will use mechanisms such as:

• Business meetings
• Agricultural fairs
• Commercial networking
• Contracting mechanisms
• Value-chain partnerships

These activities can help producer organisations identify buyers and establish more reliable commercial relationships.

Women’s Economic Empowerment

Women’s participation is a central component of the programme.

At least 51% of the targeted producers are expected to be women.

The programme seeks to improve women’s economic inclusion by strengthening their:

• Agricultural skills
• Financial-management capacity
• Participation in producer organisations
• Market access
• Commercial opportunities
• Income-generation potential

Greater participation in agricultural value chains can contribute to stronger household resilience and improved livelihoods.

Climate-Smart Agriculture and Resilience

Climate change is one of the major challenges affecting Haitian agriculture.

The programme therefore incorporates climate-smart agriculture and soil-conservation practices.

These approaches are intended to help farmers:

• Protect agricultural soils.
• Improve resource efficiency.
• Adapt to changing climate conditions.
• Reduce vulnerability to environmental shocks.
• Maintain agricultural productivity over time.

The broader objective is to make local agricultural systems more resilient to future climate and economic pressures.

Expected Results

The SAMS programme is expected to generate several interconnected results.

Increased Agricultural Productivity

Farmers will gain access to improved knowledge, infrastructure, equipment, and production practices.

Reduced Post-Harvest Losses

Better storage, handling, quality control, and post-harvest practices should reduce losses between harvest and market.

Stronger Producer Organisations

The capacity of agricultural producer organisations will be strengthened through technical, organisational, and financial-management support.

Improved School Food Supply

Stronger links between farmers and school feeding programmes can increase the supply of locally produced agricultural products to school canteens.

Stronger Local Value Chains

Producer organisations will have opportunities to develop relationships with processors, traders, institutional buyers, and other market actors.

Increased Rural Women’s Economic Inclusion

The programme’s focus on women aims to strengthen their participation in agricultural production, markets, organisations, and income-generating activities.

Improved Household Income and Resilience

By combining productivity improvements with stronger market access, the programme aims to contribute to improved livelihoods and resilience among participating farming households.

Who Can Apply?

The call is seeking organisations capable of implementing agricultural market-support activities in Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est.

Potential partners should be able to demonstrate relevant capacity in areas such as:

• Agricultural development
• Smallholder farmer support
• Producer-organisation strengthening
• Market systems and value chains
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Post-harvest management
• Food security
• Women’s economic empowerment
• Training and capacity building
• Agricultural infrastructure

Organisations should also demonstrate the operational capacity needed to work effectively with producer organisations and other local stakeholders.

What Should a Strong Proposal Include?

A strong proposal should clearly demonstrate how the organisation will contribute to the SAMS objectives.

Important elements include:

• A clear understanding of the agricultural context in the target departments.
• A practical strategy for reaching smallholder producers.
• A strong approach to women’s participation.
• Methods for strengthening OPAs.
• Training plans for farmer leaders.
• A strategy for reducing post-harvest losses.
• Climate-smart agricultural approaches.
• Infrastructure and equipment plans where applicable.
• A clear market-linkage strategy.
• Connections with school feeding programmes.
• Monitoring and measurement of results.
• A realistic implementation approach.

How the Program Works

The SAMS model can be understood as a connected agricultural value chain:

Producer support → Improved production → Better post-harvest management → Stronger producer organisations → Market connections → Institutional buyers → Increased income and resilience

Rather than focusing only on agricultural production, the programme addresses the barriers that prevent smallholder farmers from successfully reaching and benefiting from markets.

How to Prepare a Partnership Proposal

Organisations interested in responding should follow the requirements in the official WFP call documentation.

A practical preparation process includes:

1. Review the eligibility requirements.
   Confirm that your organisation meets WFP’s technical, operational, legal, and geographic requirements.
2. Assess the target departments.
   Demonstrate knowledge of agricultural conditions and smallholder needs in Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est.
3. Define the beneficiary strategy.
   Explain how producers and OPAs will be identified, engaged, and supported.
4. Develop the capacity-building component.
   Detail training in good agricultural practices, post-harvest management, soil conservation, financial management, and climate-smart agriculture.
5. Develop the market-linkage strategy.
   Explain how farmers will connect with school feeding programmes, processors, traders, and institutional buyers.
6. Include women’s economic empowerment.
   Provide specific measures to ensure meaningful participation of women producers.
7. Plan infrastructure and equipment support.
   Identify relevant storage, quality-control, and agricultural infrastructure needs.
8. Establish measurable indicators.
   Include indicators for productivity, post-harvest losses, market access, organisational capacity, women’s participation, income, and resilience.
9. Prepare the required budget and supporting documents.
   Ensure that costs are realistic and directly connected to planned activities and expected results.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Focusing only on agricultural production without addressing market access.
• Ignoring the role of producer organisations.
• Providing generic training without measurable outcomes.
• Failing to address women’s economic participation.
• Underestimating post-harvest losses.
• Proposing climate activities that are not connected to farmers’ actual needs.
• Omitting links with school feeding or institutional markets where relevant.
• Providing unrealistic infrastructure or equipment costs.
• Failing to explain how benefits will continue after project support ends.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Organisation: World Food Programme (WFP)
• Programme: Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS)
• Country: Haiti
• Target departments: Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est
• Target producers: 5,900 smallholder farmers
• Women beneficiaries: At least 51%
• Producer organisations: 60 OPAs
• Main focus: Agricultural productivity, market integration, resilience, and value-chain development
• Key sectors: Agriculture, food security, nutrition, livelihoods, climate resilience, and women’s economic empowerment
• Institutional market: School feeding programmes
• Key approaches: Climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest management, capacity building, infrastructure, and market linkages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the WFP Smallholder Agricultural Market Support Program?

The Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) programme is a WFP initiative in Haiti designed to strengthen smallholder farmers and producer organisations while improving their access to agricultural markets.

Where will the programme operate?

The programme focuses on Haiti’s Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est departments.

How many farmers will benefit?

The programme targets approximately 5,900 smallholder producers, with at least 51% expected to be women.

What are agricultural producer organisations?

Agricultural producer organisations, or OPAs, are organised groups of farmers that can collectively improve production, access services, manage agricultural activities, and connect with markets and buyers.

The programme aims to support approximately 60 OPAs.

How does the programme connect agriculture with school feeding?

The programme seeks to connect local agricultural producers with school feeding programmes, creating commercial opportunities for farmers while increasing the supply of locally produced food for school meals.

What training will farmers receive?

Training may cover good agricultural practices, post-harvest management, soil conservation, climate-smart agriculture, financial management, and organisational capacity.

How will the programme improve farmers’ incomes?

The programme combines improved productivity with reduced post-harvest losses, stronger producer organisations, better market connections, and relationships with institutional buyers. Together, these measures are intended to create more reliable commercial opportunities and improve rural household incomes.

Conclusion

The WFP Smallholder Agricultural Market Support Program in Haiti takes an integrated approach to strengthening smallholder agriculture in Sud, Nippes, and Sud-Est. By supporting 5,900 producers and 60 agricultural producer organisations, with women representing at least 51% of the target group, the initiative aims to improve productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen climate resilience, and expand access to reliable markets.

The connection between smallholder agriculture and school feeding programmes is particularly important because it can simultaneously support farmer livelihoods, local food systems, child nutrition, and learning outcomes. Overall, the SAMS programme seeks to build a stronger and more inclusive agricultural value chain in Haiti where organised smallholders can sustainably produce, access markets, increase incomes, and improve their resilience.