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Haïtian Independence
Haïtian independence in 1804 marked the first and only successful
slave revolt in world history. Haïti became the modern
world's first black-led republic.
The RECOCARNO area was where the final, and most fiercely-fought
of the struggles for Haïtian independence took place.
The red and blue stripes of the flag, first adopted by Dessalines
in 1803, were restored to the Haïtian flag on 25th February
1986 after the fall of Baby Doc and the Duvalier regime. |
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History of coffee in Haïti
In 1725 the mountainous north and north-east regions received
Haïti's very first coffee seedlings. The new crop flourished
on large colonial plantations. On the eve of Haïtian independence
the country supplied 60% of the world's coffee. Coffee and
a few other lucrative cash crops generated huge returns for
the French colonialists.
The rebels took over the plantations that sustained the colonial
economy and began to achieve the drive for autonomy and dignity
characterised the establishment of the coffee cooperatives
and then the network of co-operatives that is RECOCARNO. Many
obstacles have been overcome. One of the biggest of these
has been the trend to pay farmers less and less for their
coffee as a result of aggressive international and local price
reductions before Fairtrade mechanisms showed that this could
be reversed to the benefit of producers and consumers alike. |
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After 200 years of independence, small peasant farmers
continue to cultivate small stands of coffee alongside cacao,
fruits and legumes. However, the average farm has dwindled
in size (on average less than one hectare) and greater priority
is placed on food crops over cash crops such as coffee. Small
farmers still regard their coffee as a significant source
of income.
The people of the north and north-east regions of Haïti
were leaders in the struggle for independence and today are
showing the world that small coffee producers have a dynamic
role in local and global economies. |
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