Exporting value added mangoes with a 75% to 100% higher price paid was the beginning of  a long term sustainable trade based solution helping the thousands of rural families involved in the Mouvman Moun Mango certified program. 

I have been working with these groups on and off since 2004.  Last year we distributed for the first time, premiums to mango growers, these premiums were paid down by Whole Food Market consumer as a part of their purchase price. My self and the Exporter Ralph Perry and the Importer, Jonathans and Whole Foods have been supporting the certification program for the past two years.  

All hopes of exports of organic and Fair Trade mangos have been shattered. The 10 groups I have been volunteering with around the country will only have access to the lower paying market that pays less than the certified export market with no cash premium at the end of the year. The continued  yearly events and disasters have made it practically impossible to continue to maintain an Organic and Fair Trade certifiable grower group system. If there is no support for them this year, it appears evident that the entire value added certified mango grower groups based system will collapse.  

I have not yet been able to get in touch with any of the groups leaders, who are located mostly outside of Port au Prince. Digicel (the major cell carrier) has been down for 3 days. Two neighboring towns, Leogane (group RAPCOMOL) has been evaluated by the UN as 80% destroyed, personal accounts from Jacmel (group REPSIPKA)  have evaluated the downtown damage to be 1/3 to 2/3 destroyed. Kabaret (group APWOMOPA) has some damage and is still recovering from the triple hurricanes. No information has come in from the other outlying areas. It is not known who of the members survived, how many lost family and how many lost trees in landslides.