Food Consumption Patterns Part 2

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10. Peanuts and Peanut Butter
Almost every aspect of peanut production and consumption neatly touches on points mentioned in
the previous sections. Peanuts are endemic to Haiti. Pre-Columbian Taino Indians planted them.
Haitians have always planted them, and eaten peanut products as or more frequently than any other
food that is not part of the main mid-day meal. Haitians prefer locally produced varieties over
imported peanuts. The path to getting the peanuts is deeply embedded in the household and
informal economies. In this penultimate section of the report we examine the peanut value chain,
taste preferences, and consumption patterns with the goal of understanding how to best market
peanut based RUTFs. In this regard, it is important to note that while informal markets and vendors
are the prevailing source of foods for at least 80% of the population, the point of entry for most
manufactured foods is the formal sector. The exception, as seen, are many Dominican imports
which move in the opposite direction, from the Dominican formal industrial economy, to
Dominican semi-formal economy intermediaries. The Dominican intermediaries then bring the
goods across the border into the hands of informal economy Haitian traders, or the Haitians traders
themselves cross the border and bring the food goods back, often on foot. But if RUTFs are to be
produced in Haiti, production will be in the formal economy and the distribution entry point will
be the formal sector market. Thus, section is meant to build on analyses in previous chapters and
explore in greater detail how peanuts fit into the economy with the goal of defining, in the next
and final chapter, how best to navigate RUTFs into the popular market without harming the local
peanut value chain.
The Peanut Value Chain
Peanut products are currently part of an artisanal industry, and an important one. This industry is
so important that we begin this section with a word of caution that entry into the market with
peanut based RUTFs may intrude into the activities of impoverished market women. Roasted
peanuts, peanut sugar clusters, chanm chanm, and peanut butter are all overwhelmingly local
products: locally grown, locally processed, locally transported, and sold by low-income female
traders.
Peanut Production
TechnoServe’s 2012 landmark peanut value chain report estimates that 35,000 households are
involved in production, producing a total of 14,000 metric tons per year. Another 15,000
households depend to some extent on the peanut value chain through the processing and marketing
of roasted peanuts, peanut butter and other peanut products discussed below. The production
occurs almost entirely on small farm plots, with each farmer cultivating an average .65 hectare in
peanuts.
We believe the TechnoServe estimates to be conservative. TechnoServe cites three primary peanut
producing regions in Haiti. Using Port-au-Prince market sellers, they estimate the relative
importance of the North at 7% of production, the Northeast at 8%, and the Central Plateau at 71%.
However, significant quantities are grown in the South (based on common knowledge as well as
Jolly and Prophete, 1999). And peanuts are produced at some level throughout the country. Even