Last year I joined the Board of Directors of CHIBAS, a non-profit research center on bio-energy and sustainable agriculture based in Haiti. I was enormously relieved to find out that the Executive Director and Research Director, Gael Pressior and his family and colleagues are all fine after the earthquake. We are working with colleagues at a variety of organizations, including LAC-CORE, to facilitate the rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies for lighting, heat, electricity, water purification, and other critical needs.
CHIBAS is working to develop and promote the use of multipurpose crops that could contribute to job creation while improving both the food and energy security in Haiti. CHIBAS has strong research capabilities and highly qualified personnel in both agronomy and genetics.
CHIBAS is set to become a Regional Biofuels Technical & Knowledge Center that will serve the biofuel sector by developing energy crop technologies and varieties, with an initial focus on jatropha and sweet sorghum. These technologies will be useful not only to Haiti but will be available for all of the Latin American and Caribbean countries. Moreover, CHIBAS will provide the biofuel agro-industry and other stakeholders the technologies and technical support necessary for the development and success of the biofuel agro-industry in the region.