Our Take on Haiti
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On February 15th, the Hill Times published a story – “Inside Canada’s START Disaster Relief Haiti team in Ottawa” – that took a close look at the assistance Canada has provided in Haiti following the devastating January 12th earthquake. The article was a well-written account of what has happened, but it contained an interview with Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto – a former Brazillian ambassador to Haiti – that called for agricultural reform to invest in lucrative export commodity crops that would satisfy western tastes for items like Grand Marnier and cigars. Our Director of Canadian programs prepared the following response on behalf of USC Canada.
Re: “Inside Canada’s START disaster relief Haiti team in Ottawa,” (The Hill Times, Feb. 15, p. 1). Thanks for your highly informative inside look at how Canada is dealing with Haiti. This kind of journalism is sadly absent from the media these days.
I must say Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto’s views about Haiti becoming an exporter of ‘agricultural products’ – essentially biomass that feeds the luxury habits of North Americans – left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I work on food security – and I think that’s the next big issue in Haiti. Haiti is getting a lot of food aid, but what’s happening to food production in Haiti itself? Will this crisis leave Haitians more or less capable of feeding themselves over the long term? What kind of food system existed when the disaster happened? How has the disaster affected rural and agricultural areas?
I agree that an agricultural transformation is needed. But what kind of transformation?
It seems that the earthquake has opened up a lot of these issues. Some are saying we should get ‘improved seeds’ to Haiti so farmers can get on with their efforts to grow their own food. Or, continue or even accelerate its path of growing agricultural products for other markets. Others are saying that, over the long term, Haiti’s food system has been so distorted that it didn’t have much of an ability to feed itself anyway, and this crisis will further distort that system, making farmers more dependent and debt-ridden from having to purchase inputs, like expensive seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.
The alternative would be to take this opportunity to affect a different kind of transformation. To rediscover the knowledge, crops and techniques that already exist and should be used to feed the local population rather than to grow exports. Rebuilding the system so it can feed itself over the long run.
The idea of restoring the sovereignty that Haiti has lost over decades of external intervention. In this case, it would be food sovereignty.
Faris Ahmed
Director, Canadian Programs
USC CANADA
10 Responses to “Our Take on Haiti”
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USC Canada
was founded by
Dr Lotta Hitschmanova in 1945. Our award-winning Seeds of Survival program promotes vibrant family farms, strong rural communities, and healthy ecosystems around the world.
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Hello,
I couldn’t agree with Ms. Ahmed’s comments more. As a former bio-dynamic farmer, I understand the value of sustainable agriculture to my bones.
Is USC planning to initiate a program in Haiti? I would support that.
Regards
Linnea
This is something that we should write to the conservative government and its Minister of Agriculture about!
I hope you are listened to & that Haiti can become more self sufficient & no longer exploited & abused.
Right on!
I too believe that the agri-business for export will keep Haiti poor and starved.
Thank you for responding.
I believe that allowing the Haitian people to grow crops ingigenous to their lands and/or their culture is the most important issue to look at here. The people must be able to feed themselves that is of utmost importance, growing super foods for the North American market is not going to sustain their population. If the World Bank or IMF insists on yet another poor country growing that garbage for mass production then it will be apparent their is no thought as to the care and sustenance for the Haitians people,
Hi,
Your link is to the Hill Times, and one has to search through for the article (search: Haiti). Then access is blocked.
The Hill Times costs $159 yearly for a subscription to the electronic edition.
Is there some way you can create a link to a copy of the Hill Times article, for everyone. I’ve tried to find the article by a back door search and couldn’t. If you have a copy, I’d like to read it.
Thanks, Maureen, London, Ont.
The Hill Times, as you discovered, does not provide free content. Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce the original article on our website without their consent. In order to establish context we have provided a brief summary of the original article prior to our response, however that does not replace the original article, which is definitely worth reading. Perhaps you can find a copy through your local library system.
I did find a copy of J. Davis’ article ‘Inside Canada’s START disaster relief Haiti team in Ottawa (Feb. 15/10), Hill Times.
Faris Ahmed’s reply, focusing on agriculture, is a gentle one … probably the best way of approach … although the depth of concern is evident.
When I read the article, the hair stood up on the back of my neck. ‘economy based around biofuels and luxury goods’ … coffee … rice … [flavouring for] Grand Marnier … oils used in fine French perfunes … ‘the help of Brazil’s world leading biofuels sector, could export ethanol to the U.S. market’.
And what is Brazil’s production based on? Genetically modified seed, land clearance, worker exploitation. Such waste. Fossil fuel use on every agricultural input that would have to be imported to Haiti, in order to produce crops that will be taken out of Haiti using more fossil fuel, for processing in another country and using more fossil fuel.
Those who’ve commented here recognize the problems and the healthy agriculture that is needed, as does USC-Canada.
I will come up with some sort of positive letter about healthy agriculture to send to the Canadian ‘players’ – copying to NDP, Liberal and Green party. I admit to some cynicism about the utility of sending letters just to the government in power.
Thank you for your work generally. Thank you for monitoring this insider newspaper that Canadians must surely pay for but have no access to.
Best personal regards,
Maureen
Haiti, unfortunately, has been a country to use and abuse since it’s founding as an independent country in 1804. Now is the opportunity to help it gin real independence by its interdependence with the countries in its region. Food sovereignty is a wonderful place to begin.
On March 8 Haiti’s president, René Préval remarked that food aid has to be replaced by local produce grown by local farmers. Absolutely!
Haiti used to be self sufficient in food production, but then the US flooded the island with subsidized rice, and the farmers could not compete any more. They lost everything and moved to the cities, poor and homeless. That contributed to the state the country is in now. Will the US soldiers ever leave the island or is this another invasion ?
Ursula