Economy

Reprezantan 50 Federasyon ak òganizasyon ayisyen pibliye yon deklarasyon kont don pistach Depatman agrikilti peyi Etazini (USDA) vle voye ane sa-a. USDA gen lentansyon voye 500 tòn metrik pistach ayiti, swadizan pou ede timoun ki grangou. Men ayiti deja pwodwi pistach, donk chajman sa kapab gen yon trè move efè sou ekonomi ayiti. Gwoup sa yo sonje jan masak kochon kreyòl yo ak chajman diri etazini te detwi ekonomi ayiti nan ane 1980 yo epi yo pa vle menm bagay la rive ak pistach yo tou. Yon pati deklarasyon an pi ba. Klike ISI pou li tout tèks la, e ISI pou wè siyati yo. DEKLARASYON OGANIZASYON POPILÈ SOU KOZE ENPÒTASYON PISTACH 20 jiyè 2016 Nou menm reprezantan 50 Federasyon ak òganizasyon, ki sòti nan 10 depatman yo e ki te reyini nan Montrouis sòti 10 pou rive 21 jiyè nan okazyon reyalizasyon […]

In response to calls against the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s plan to ship tons of peanuts to Haiti, a peanut-producing country, the USDA wrote the letter below. In it, the USDA describes how it has been working to ensure peanut aid programs do not saturate the internal market for native goods. In addition, it also says it is providing support and expert advice to help grow the entire agricultural industry within the nation. Part of the letter is below. Click HERE for the full text. Letter From the USDA Phil Karsting, USDA – Foreign Agricultural Service The United States is committed to supporting the people of Haiti by helping to create jobs, boost incomes, reduce extreme poverty and ensure greater food security, especially for its most vulnerable citizens. Nearly one-third of Haitian children suffer from chronic malnutrition and stunting, and […]

The American Red Cross needs to “make every effort to win [donors’] confidence” back after reports have revealed gross mis-spending of the money donated after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. For example, 25% of the donations were spent on administrative costs and fundraising though those are usually reported at 9%. Senator Charles Grassley has been investigating this issue since a 2015 report by ProPublica and NPR called attention to it. Trust Deficit at the Red Cross Editorial, The New York Times June 17, 2016 After calamities, people donate millions of dollars to the American Red Cross, believing it is uniquely equipped to provide prompt humanitarian aid. The latest evidence that their faith has been misplaced came this week in a report by Senator Charles Grassley about the charity’s poor response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The earthquake killed an estimated 160,000 people and left much […]

On the surface, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s plan to ship 500 metric tons of peanuts to malnourished Haitian children may sound great. Those familiar with Haitian agricultural and economic history, however, are strongly opposing this program because shipments of rice to Haiti in the 1980s and 1990s all but destroyed the Haitian rice market. Many, including IJDH, have written letters and made statements on the risks of the USDA plan but right now, the USDA says that it will still make the shipment before school starts in the fall. Can continued advocacy stop this plan from going through? Part of the article is below. Click HERE for the full text and audio. The US wants to give peanuts to malnourished Haitian kids. Why is that a problem? Amy Bracken, PRI’s The World May 11, 2016 For those unfamiliar with Haitian history […]

When the US Department of Agriculture announced a plan to ship surplus US peanuts to Haiti to feed malnourished children, there was an immediate and prolonged backlash. From Haitian farmers to economists to human rights groups in the US, many spoke out urging the USDA to reconsider, especially given the devastating impact US shipments of rice had on Haiti’s rice market and farmers. While the plan may sound generous on the surface, the USDA doesn’t seem to have done any market analysis or sought to make this plan sustainable without interfering with Haitian peanut farmers’ livelihoods. Part of the article is below. Click HERE for the full text. Dumping nuts Raymond C. Offenheiser, The Hill May 11, 2016 It’s a classic case of good intentions gone bad. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to dump 500 metric tons of […]

The Massachusetts Delegation of Senators and Representatives wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging the State Department to encourage the Department of Agriculture (USDA) not to ship 500 metric tons of peanuts to Haiti. According to the USDA, this shipment of peanuts will be a great help to Haiti during its current hunger crisis. Haitians and advocates, however, recognize the devastating impact this shipment would have, as Haiti already produces its own peanuts and the industry has recovered well since the 2010 earthquake. The Delegation wrote this letter in support of Massachusetts Senator Linda Dorcena Forry’s letter opposing the USDA’s peanut plan. Click HERE for the full letter and signatures. May 6, 2016 The Hon. John F. Kerry, Secretary of State US Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Mr. Secretary: We write in […]