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November 18, 2009
To our members, friends, donors, and visitors,
Please,
pass it on!
The bashing of our natural
resources and/or the slow killing of the Haitian agricultural production
Dr. Harry-Hans Francois,
Ph.D., N.D., CNC., Dip-CFC., LMHC
January 2009
The republic of Haiti, throughout its
history of independence, has mainly known various periods of financial
difficulties, some instances of undernourishment/starvation, and many governments
of modern despotism and social upheavals, which are clearly detrimental to its
march towards individual and collective advancement. Yet, it has somehow
prevailed and also has found ways to feed its inhabitants at least until the
low 80’s. Consequently, it has mainly survived through some foreign aid
programs and/or with the proud contribution of Haitian farming’s products such
as sweet potatoes, coffee, cocoa, manioc, yams, mountainous and/or lagoon rice,
bananas, mangos, cultural black pigs, naturally-fed animals and birds. However,
Haiti’s today is facing a multitude of serious cases of famine and food
scarcity, which were being aggravated by a prolonged bashing of the Haitian
agricultural production, the Gonaives’ tsunami (2004) and the destructive passage
of the 2008’s hurricane season. These two last natural calamities, added to a
few local and international policies implemented during the 80’s, 90’s and the
early 2000’s, clearly amount to the existing problems of Haiti.
In assessing this present agricultural
production in Haiti, it makes sense to get acquainted with some of the
politico-economical policies, which were being undertaken and even imposed on
the throat of the poor Haitian consumers by the World Bank, USAID, and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) toward Haiti during the 80’s. Here are some published
excerpts about this lamentable situation. A report, brought to light by the
Organization of United nations, which covered at least eleven years (1991-2002)
of malnutrition/undernourishment and famine around the world, pleads in favor
of the necessity for a sound nutrition program in Haiti. This report places
Haiti and Mozambique on top of the list, thus 1st and 2nd
orderly, per percentage of population, which has not gotten and/or received the
minimal caloric level recommended by the world’s nutritionist – approximately
2,500 calories to 3,000 calories based on age and daily activities of the
individual. It goes further by arguing that the percentage of the population
being affected by this endemic situation remains as follows: 65, 3% during the
year 1991, a total of 59, 4% in 1996 and finally a total of 47, and 2% during
the year 2002(millenniumindicators.un..org/unds.mifre/m_results.asp). These
numbers, regardless of the assessing eyes, clearly indicate that this
particular situation is lamentable in Haiti.
Other experts focused on Haiti’s
exports have objectively pleaded their case about a situation of despondency in
this island. They have argued that Haiti has lived and still lives very highly
on heavy daily exportation deals coming mainly from Dominican Republic, United
States, and Taiwan. The Dominican newspaper “Dominican Today” (Jan.09) made a
case about the gradual elimination of manufacturing of basic products in Haiti
since the year 1986. This article states that Haiti was the third (3rd)
largest Dominican exports market during the year 2006… More than one hundred
forty seven million (147,000.000.00) US dollars have been pumped into the
Dominican economy during that year by Haiti alone.
Other researchers meant to be more
specific by linking very strongly this potential famine and some governmental
policies, which have been instituted during the last twenty eight (28) years.
Georges J. (2004), in a case study titled “Trade and Disappearance of the
Haitian Rice”, contends that rice imports outpaced domestic rice production
since the 70’s… In the year 2000, Haiti has imported a total of 219.590 metric
tons of US rice while its local production for the same year sums up to 130.000
metric tons – a decrease of 64.000 tons in local production when compared to
the year 1985. Georges also argues that
this situation displaced many Haitian farmers, traders, and millers whose
employment opportunities are extremely limited…Two factors are identified are
being the most significant causes for the decline in Haitian rice production…They
are the Adoption of Trade Liberalization policies and the Environmental
Degradation… The Haitian market is now flooded with US rice imports (Miami
rice) and some have even accused the US of dumping its rice in Haiti… The
impact of the decline of the rice production in Haiti has been devastating to
its rural population which is already poor.
On the other hand, William Steif, a
researcher for the World Bank, seems to see the situation under a little more
political scope than economical. In an article titled “Haitian Hell … A
government gone awry”, which was published in 1985 in the Multinational Monitor,
he made the point that agriculture has slowly and inexorably deteriorated for
thirty (30) years in Haiti and per capita agricultural production has declined
regularly… On top of that, high production costs rises because of unutilized
capacity, poor management, outdated equipments, lack of global competitiveness,
difficulties to export and/or to sell cause “Excessive Dependence” on imports
of the intermediate products that the Haitian consumers need to get by every
day (Steif, Haitian Hell, The Multinational Monitor, 1985). Coincidently, many
experts on world’s hunger contend that most of the third world’s poor families
have been plainly bashed and baffled by the international financial brokers who,
purposely, would design malicious assistance package, which aim to conquer
foreign markets, and force their policies into the throat of the governments in
poor countries such as Haiti, Central America, Africa, East Asia, etc.
They mainly do so by instituting aid
food programs such as the PL 480 Title I, II, and III sales to these poor
countries. Such “aid programs” are given on easy credit terms for resale to
local livestock industries as feed, and to local food-processing companies who
make pasta, bread, cooking oil, and other products for urban consumers with the
condition that participating governments make policy changes as spelled out in
the “covenants” of the aid agreement signed with USAID. Most of the experts in
this business agree that Title I has created immediate markets for the U.S.
corporations and also a great deal of dependency on the part of the recipient
countries. Researchers such as Lappe, Collins, and Rosset even question the
nature and the real beneficiaries of such aid programs. They contend that the recipient
countries come to depend on these foreign food supplies by encouraging the
growth of poultry farms, wheat mills, and soap and vegetable-oil factories. PL
480 helps create a Structural Dependence on Continued Imports. These
researchers further argue that Title I food aid first of all puts money in the
pockets of giant grain corporations like Cargill, who provide and ship the
products and secondly supports factory-style poultry producers and food
processors, and finally helps shift away consumers tastes in recipients
countries from locally grown crops toward wheat products like bread and pasta (World
Hunger, twelve myths, 1998).
In reality, these policies of
conquering the targeted foreign markets and those of cultural re-programmation
would greatly benefit the foreign power suppliers such as some big American
agricultural entrepreneurs, the Wall Street, the IMF, and some local and
foreign dealers such as Cargill, Alberto, etc. Ironically, the Original Sin and
blackmailing do not remain unpunished. Consequently, social upheavals and/or
civil war always burst out in these recipient countries whenever things do not
go their ways. At the end, a prestigious exit becomes imminent and a sacrificing
lamb is needed in order to save face. And as a result, the old political
protégé of these powerbrokers would be crucified, which is often times
portrayed by the international press as being the “sudden prodigal son and/or
the lone corrupted element” of the entire deal. For all the reasons of the
world, he must be expelled from the power that he once held.
Thus, one can now apprehend the
rationale behind the elimination of the Haitian “Dark- Skinned Pig, the
politics of governmental tariff’s change, and the sudden closing of Ciment
d’Haiti, Minoterie d’Haiti, Acierie d’Haiti, Huileries d’Haiti, Beurrerie du
Sud and the HASCO, which took place during the late 80’s and the actual scarcity
of alimentary and basic products. In today’s Haiti, a great majority of the
population prefer to consume foreign alimentary products, good or tainted, over
the few remaining local ones. It does not matter where they come from, as long
they do not see any Haitian label on them. In reality, the original dark pig - used
for “griot”- has been replaced by the new pig fed on imported products. The
same is also true for the original local peanut butter and chicken which has
being replaced with the “frozen cadaver-chickens and turkey”. The presence of
different brands of local rice is rare to be found in the local market and
remains even acidic to the bud taste of this contemporary Haitian population.
Not much bananas, coffee and cacao to export, exception is only made for the
mango. Very poor qualities of hot dogs and cereals have replaced local meals.
And the drama continues until the commercial and educational leaders of Haiti decide
to search for a better approach to the current crisis.
Having well sought the problem, I now
comprehend why poor farmers and consumers in Haiti and in many other third
world countries remain caught in a timorous box and in between the high costs
of chemicals and imported farm inputs and low crop prices after they have
gotten accustomed to exotic and synthetic lifestyles of consuming habits, which
were clearly imposed by various international powerbrokers in complicity with
some local partners. Ironically in Haiti,
high unemployment and costliness of daily livings closely walk hands in hands,
if not dangerously, with the complex issues of scarcity of local alimentary production.
Not surprisingly, these two derivatives, coupled with soil erosion and also
with other natural disasters that Haiti experiences from time to time, explain
the bashing and the slow killing of the Haitian agricultural production. And
one must predict that Haiti, like many other poor countries in this planet,
will probably continue to face economic despondency and social upheavals for a
good number of years, if better policies would not be implemented soon. May
those who really care, listen!
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