Organizing Agricultural Services and Diversification to Build Community Resilience – The Municipality of Les Cayes

CONTEXT

In the municipality of Les Cayes, specifically in the villages of Massé, Faucault, and Bazelais, vetiver cultivation is the primary source of income for hundreds of families. However, this monoculture weakens production systems, leading to soil erosion and economic vulnerability... 

To address these challenges, the KPVMFB cooperative (Koperativ Pwodiktè Vètiver Massé Faucault Bazelais), founded in 2012 and comprising more than 350 families, supports family farms in marketing vetiver and develops social and agricultural initiatives. But despite its progress, it remains dependent on external support to finance its operations and services. 

In 2024, a study conducted with Agrisud identified income-generating activities (IGAs) that would allow the cooperative to diversify its revenue streams and strengthen its autonomy. At the same time, in the area’s rice-growing regions, families farm nearly 300 hectares, with significant potential for improvement through new, adapted agricultural practices. The development of agricultural services (inputs, nurseries, rice mills) is thus a major lever for strengthening the resilience of rural families and the cooperative.

OBJECTIVES

• Strengthen the financial autonomy of the KPVMFB cooperative by establishing sustainable income-generating activities 
• Set up and operationalize a local rice processing and marketing unit 
• Improve the technical and economic performance of the cooperative’s member farms through the adoption of improved rice-growing practices 
• Strengthen the cooperative’s organizational, technical, and financial capacities to sustainably provide local agricultural services 

RESULTS

• A fully equipped, operational rice processing facility managed by a trained committee 
• 124 farms supported in adopting an improved rice production package tailored to the area’s irrigated fields 
• Establishment and improvement of community services: input stores, nurseries, and other structured agricultural services 
• A cooperative strengthened in its governance, technical and financial management, and its ability to cover its operating expenses
• Development of a working capital fund through the subsidized sale of inputs, enabling support for more families in the future 

KEY PROJECT INFORMATION