The Dominican tractors entered Haiti on March 12 and remained there until the beginning of May.

Following the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010, it was vital that the nation’s farmland be prepared for the planting season as quickly as possible. The cities had suffered the most damage and a mass exodus of the population to the countryside ensued. The food security situation became even more critical, with the people forced to eat even the seed set aside for planting.

The earthquake in Haiti, which left a death toll of 300,000 in its wake, touched people all over the world. And the international community acted in unison.

Perhaps one of the most immediate, concrete and effective responses came from the governments of the Dominican Republic, Brazil and the United States of America. At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) of Haiti, and in coordination with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the three countries offered to provide the resources required for Operación Tractores Solidarios, whose results are summarized in this publication.

More information: alfredo.mena@iica.int