As COP30 Approaches, Heifer Warns Time Is Running Out to Strengthen Community-Based Food Systems
After Hurricane Melissa brought intense rains, deadly floods, and widespread devastation across Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and other parts of the Caribbean, global development organization Heifer International is urging stronger investment in farmer-led resilience to protect smallholder farmers who sustain the world's food systems and are most vulnerable to changing weather patterns.
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2286250/Heifer_Logo.jpg
As world leaders prepare to meet atCOP30this month in Belem, Brazil, Heifer International warns that the world is running out of time to strengthen community-based resilience and safeguard rural livelihoods that anchor global food security.
“Hurricane Melissa has shown once again that changes in environmental patterns are not a distant concern – they are daily realities for rural families,”saidHervil Cherubin, Senior Country Director for Haiti at Heifer International. “As nations gather in Brazil, they must place these communities at the center of the global resilience agenda.”
In Haiti, smallholder farmers – who produce up to 70% of the country's food – are already contending with deforestation, soil erosion, and recurring storms. Hurricane Melissa wiped out critical crops, drowned livestock, and destroyed seed stocks, putting thousands of families at risk of acute food insecurity.
According to data fromHaiti's Civil Protection Directorate (DPC), theCategory 5 hurricane, which weakened slightly as it swept past Jamaica and Haiti, caused severe flooding and destruction across theGrand Sud, leavingdozens deadandthousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
InPetit-Goâvealone, heavy rains and landslides claimedat least 25 livesand devastated crops and livestock, underscoring the extreme vulnerability of rural communities to increasingly frequent climate shocks.
Heifer International is working with national authorities and partners toassess needs and coordinate response efforts, focusing on rural areas hardest hit by flooding and crop losses. Immediate priorities includesafe shelter, clean water, hygiene kits, food assistance, agricultural tools, and targeted cash and seed support.
“These communities are not just weathering the storm – they are cultivating the solutions we all need,” saidOscar Castañeda, Senior Vice-President of the Americas at Heifer International. “Investing in their resilience is both a moral and strategic imperative for the global community.”
Heifer emphasizes thatresilience must become a structural global priority, not only to rebuild after disasters but to reduce vulnerability and break the cycle of loss and recovery. Its ongoing work in Haiti and across the Americas focuses on:
— Regenerative and climate-smart agriculture to restore degraded soils and strengthen ecosystem services.
— Livelihood diversification through farmer cooperatives and value chains that stabilize rural economies.
— Women's leadership and youth innovation as drivers of resilience and inclusive growth.
— Community-based preparedness and early warning systems that integrate local knowledge with scientific forecasting.
As nations prepare for COP30, Heifer International calls on policymakers, donors, and the private sector to commit tomeasurable actionsthat strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers and rural food systems – includingadaptation financing accessible to community-led initiatives,sustainable land and water management, andinvestment in agricultural innovationfor vulnerable regions.
The lessons from Haiti resound far beyond its borders: resilience begins where every harvest begins – in the hands of farmers. As the climate crisis accelerates, investing in their knowledge and leadership is not charity, but strategy. Ahead of COP30, Heifer International calls on governments, donors, and private actors to commit – not with promises, but with policies, partnerships, and funding that place smallholder farmers at the heart of a just and sustainable future.
About Heifer InternationalSince 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 52 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way, while caring for the Earth. Heifer currently operates in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, supporting farmers and food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income.For more information, visitwww.heifer.org.
https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/img/favicon.png?sn=DC16038&sd=2025-11-05
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-the-aftermath-of-hurricane-melissa-heifer-international-urges-global-action-for-farmer-led-resilience-302605097.html
SOURCE Heifer International
https://rt.newswire.ca/rt.gif?NewsItemId=DC16038&Transmission_Id=202511050800PR_NEWS_USPR_____DC16038&DateId=20251105