Haiti

Haiti is an island nation that occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola and several other nearby small islands and is a low-income country with a GDP of 9.7 billion USD in 2018. Haiti has an agricultural sector that accounts for 22.1% of the country’s GDP but employs two fifths of the Haitian population. The main agricultural products of Haiti include coffee, sugarcane, cocoa, and corn. As well, small scale capture fisheries and a small but growing aquaculture industry operate in Haiti. Currently, agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture-based activities in Haiti are highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, which presents numerous opportunities to collaborate on food security related development issues.

Haiti’s economy also supports an industrial sector that contributes 20.3% to the country’s GDP. One of the main industries operating in Haiti’s industrial sector is the construction industry, which is critical for rebuilding damaged infrastructure in the disaster-prone country. As well, Haiti is host to a light manufacturing industry, which produces goods such as refined sugar, textiles, and cement.
The largest segment of Haiti’s economy is the service sector, which is responsible for generating 50.4% of the country’s GDP. Within Haiti’s service sector, the main industries include government services, transportation, and energy. Haiti also has a tourism industry, which in 2018 saw 447,000 visitor arrivals. To assist in the growth of Haiti’s tourism industry, the Government of Haiti has partnered with the World Bank on a range of projects since 2018, including those related to climate change, conservation, and small and medium enterprise growth.

Haiti has an expanding startup community with numerous supports available for growing businesses, such as accelerators, incubators, and investment networks. Currently, startups in Haiti can be found across a broad range of industries, such as technology, agriculture, and renewable energy. However, collaboration with Haitian startups is also possible on projects related to disaster management and response and mangrove restoration.