Haiti has a deep history in coffee. In fact, we were once responsible for half the world’s coffee production.

We typically grow our crops in traditional “Creole gardens” – small and diverse plots where coffee grows along with ground crops and other fruit trees.

But deforestation, disease, lack of replanting, and difficult climate conditions have resulted in decreased yields. And, after years of neglect, many farmers here lack the skills and knowledge to successfully grow and sell their coffee beans.

Recently, we joined the Haiti Coffee Academy, co-founded by the Clinton Foundation and La Colombe. The Academy is a model coffee farm and training center where we attend trainings in basic agronomy, harvesting practices, and processing techniques.

This training helps our families increase our coffee yields, production volumes, and quality levels – and, ultimately, our incomes!

Coffee trees take up to four years to grow and bear fruit. When they’re ready, the rich red cherries are harvested and sold.

As Haiti’s coffee industry grows, our crop is reaching buyers in international markets – providing more income to thousands of Haitian coffee farmers.