Plant-Based Economies Driving Ecological Renewal in Haiti

PROJECT STATEMENT

Using Haiti as a prototypical case-study, this project investigates the utilization of live fences as a catalyst for reforestation through the choreographed design of economically and environmentally beneficial linear forests. Specifically situated for subsistence farmers in Haiti, this supportive ‘fabric’ of forests is poly-functional: buffering neighboring crops from damaging winds, improving crop moisture retention, stabilizing and enriching soils, and–critically–providing the raw resources for a diverse portfolio of local, plant-based income generation.  In Haiti, 98% of native forests have been removed and 65% of the land is devoted to agricultural use. The majority of farms are delineated by a thin 0.5-5m wide live fence in which this system can be implemented, respecting current land ownership.

A three phase system is proposed: building a foundation with training in soil conservation, followed by a strategic 3-5 year planting scheme, and culminating in a final phase of craftsman skills-building through the selective harvesting and processing of forest components (never fully removing a tree) into products for maximal financial output.