Productive Landscapes (ProLand): Stimulating Smallholder Woodfuel Production: Lessons from Haiti's Thriving Charcoal Market

This sector has achieved success despite the absence of enabling conditions commonly assumed necessary for a robust and sustainable woodfuel sector. The central government provides no regulation of the sector, and few farmers hold valid titles to their land. Additionally, the government and its development partners provide virtually no technical assistance or inputs to woodfuel producers. The sector has been stimulated by scarcity, with urban residents having limited access to affordable energy alternatives and thus continuing to purchase charcoal. Woodfuel producers rely on planted trees due to scarce access to natural forests. Smallholders integrate woodfuel production into their farming systems alongside annual food crops and livestock due to limited livelihood options. A strong market stimulates production of woodfuel, particularly charcoal. Scarcity and poverty contribute to this practice, with a paucity of natural forest, a lack of alternative forms of energy, shortages in labor, and the absence of more lucrative sources of farm and off-farm income motivating smallholder farmers to embrace this livelihood. The market for charcoal is driven by urban demand, with charcoal prices rising no faster than those of alternative fuels. Haiti's forest transition is characterized by the cultivation of trees and shrubs by smallholders, largely unobserved by research. Tree cover remains sparse in the country but reaches a greater extent than once believed, far exceeding recent projections. Recent estimates of national level tree cover using satellite imagery range from 9 to 36 percent, with differences mainly attributed to varying definitions of tree cover. Areas of high charcoal production show tree cover regrowth, and shrub coverage in agricultural and eroded lands has increased significantly. The case study of Haiti's forest transition and the forces that have driven it highlights the importance of inclusive markets that meet smallholders' needs for income and flexibility. Customary land tenure institutions, local technical skills, and available tree species also play a crucial role in the development of a thriving woodfuel sector. The need to match design with smallholder productive resources and livelihood strategies is essential for the success of such initiatives.