By Max François MILLIEN
Haiti's agriculture, a pillar of the national economy and food security, is strongly threatened by the intensification of climate change. Essential crops such as bean, corn and rice are particularly vulnerable to abiotic diseases and stress (hydric and thermal). Faced with the lack of appropriate early warning technologies, the project AIPAGRI (Application of Artificial Intelligence to transform Haitian agriculture) proposes a technological solution of rupture. Funded by the BRH Research and Development Fund (FRD-BRH), AIPAGRI aims to develop a deep learning system for monitoring, automatic detection and prediction of these stresses. This project, carried out by a Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Sciences (AgroUniQ Lab del Anybodya University (and the Research Team for Climate Change (ERC2)), marks a decisive step in strengthening national scientific production in the service of sound agricultural public policies.
1. Context: The challenges of agricultural production in the face of the climate crisis
Bean, corn and rice form the basis of daily consumption in Haiti. Their production supports millions of agricultural households, but today it is hampered by a combination of factors: recurrent plant diseases, degradation of soil fertility and extreme climatic events (dryness, heat waves) that exacerbate water and thermal stress (Duvil et al., 2024).
Field diagnosis is often late, done with the naked eye by farmers without decision support technologies. This results in considerable agricultural and economic losses, and a structural inability to anticipate risks on a plot or region scale. This lack of information is all the more critical because the lack of up-to-date phytopathological references and soil mapping is a major obstacle to the formulation of sustainable solutions.
2. Technological Bet: Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning
The AIPAGRI project addresses this crucial need by proposing to equip Haitian agriculture with sophisticated digital tools. The objective is to develop a technology capable of monitoring, automatically detecting and predicting diseases and stresses on targeted crops.
The solution is based on artificial intelligence (AI), and more specifically on deep learning. This approach uses artificial neuron networks to analyze very large amounts of visual (plant images) and environmental data (temperature, soil and air humidity). The system thus learns to recognize, often with greater precision and precocity than humans, subtle signs of water, thermal stress or specific pathologies.
The process is divided into three stages:
- Data collection : Acquisition of a local database (imaging and climate data) specific to Haitian conditions.
- Modelling : Training of deep learning algorithms for the identification of crop abnormalities.
- Deployment : Establishment of a diagnostic and alert interface accessible to field actors, allowing rapid and targeted interventions.
3. A project rooted in state-of-the-art research structures
The AIPAGRI initiative is the result of collaboration between entities at Quisqueya University, specialised in project areas:
- AgroUniQ Lab : This research, innovation and agricultural policy laboratory actively contributes through its Axis 4: Agroecology, climate change and system interactions. The AIPAGRI project aligns perfectly with the triple dimension of the laboratory: cutting-edge research, innovation and social relevance.
- ERC2 (Climate Change Research Team) : Attached to the Doctoral School « Society and Environment », the ERC2 brings its crucial expertise on climate variability and impacts on continental ecosystems. Dr. Jacky DUVIL, Principal Investigator of AIPAGRI, is co-director of AgroUniQ Lab Axis 4 and a member of the ERC2, thus ensuring robust scientific coordination between the fields of agronomy and climatology. His experience in assessing the vulnerability of agricultural households to climate change (Duvil et al., 2024) is fundamental to the success of the project.
4. Strategic financing and impact on public policies
The funding of the project by the BRH Fund for Research and Development (FRD-BRH) demonstrates the recognition of the crucial role of scientific production in societal advancement and public policy decision-making.
AIPAGRI perfectly illustrates the mission of the FRD-BRH: to strengthen the involvement of the main actors in the fields of studies that can advance the reflections on the major issues of economic and social development. By providing accurate scientific data and diagnostics, the project will enable authorities and producer organisations to formulate more effective public agricultural risk management policies leading to integrated and inclusive development.
Conclusion and Perspectives
The AIPAGRI project is not just a technical breakthrough; It is an institutional innovation that positions Haiti as an actor in AI research applied to agriculture. By providing farmers and decision makers with a capacity to anticipate, it aims to reduce structural vulnerabilities in the production chain. This type of research, supported by national institutions, is the key approach to finding sustainable solutions to the challenges of adaptation and resilience to climate change (IPCC, 2022). The success of AIPAGRI will pave the way for the integration of AI into other sectors of Haitian development.
References
- Duvil, J., Feuillet, T., Emmanuel, E., & Paul, B. (2024). Assessing the Vulnerability of Farming Houses on the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola to Climate Change. Climate, 12(9), 138. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12090138
- Duvil, J., Durone, J.-B., & Paul, B. (2023). Agricultural innovations in response to climate change. In B. Paul (ed.), Agricultural and Agri-Food Innovations in Haiti (pp. 131-165). Caribbean University Presses, «Space, Territories and Corporations».
- Gabellus, K., Joseph, M., & Paul, B. (2024). Economic performance crisis and associated factors in farms in Haiti. Caribbean Studies, (59). https://doi.org/10.4000/132zk
- Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2022). Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press.
- Paul, B., & Ciguino, H. (2025). Bank inclusion in Haiti: Does agricultural assets ownership matter for financial inclusion? Caribbean Studies, 60. http://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/34749.
Max François MILLIEN
Zoonose and Food Safety Laboratory
Quisqueya University
maxfrancoismillien@gmail.com
