Creating Self-Sufficiency in Callie Schultes Pocahontas Area High School

Population growth. Water scarcity. Tropical storms. Flooding. Resource depletion. Crime. . National debt. Poverty. Deforestation. Education. Health care. Child mortality rate. Malnutrition. The AIDS epidemic. Hunger. The list of Haiti‘s problems hindering food security is endless. Where do we begin? How do we give constructive aid to this suffering nation? Which issue do we address first, and how do we repair the damage? There are no miracle answers. All of these problems must be faced, but with what strategy and with what tools in our hands? I believe that education is the key. A person’s mind can be his greatest tool. The root cause of Haiti’s food insecurity is its environmental problems, brought about by the degradation of their natural resources. This problem can only be dealt with by education of the people, an asset which few Haitians currently have. The people have not been taught how to utilize what few resources they have and until they are, the vicious cycle of hunger and poverty will continue.

Currently, Haiti is heavily dependent upon the United States, France, Canada, and other developed countries for its food, schools, and relief aid. In the scope of world issues, eradicating hunger is trump. World hunger holds the number one spot on the United Nations’ list of Millennium Development Goals for the 21st century. The UN, the World Bank, Bread for the World, and thousands of other non- governmental organizations are searching for solutions and working to establish food security. But with such mega numbers of hungry people, their resources are spread thin among several developing countries. A major piece of giving aid to these developing countries includes helping them become self-sustaining. The main factors preventing Haiti from becoming self-sufficient are lack of education, poverty, environmental obstacles, and political obstacles. In Haiti, all of these factors contribute to its food insecurity. Only about half of Haiti’s population is literate, and most of that half lives in urban areas. Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries in Latin America, but it has the lowest income per capita. Seventy-five percent of Haitians live below the poverty line, and about two-thirds of the population is unemployed. It is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and one of the poorest worldwide. Growing anything in Haiti is not easy. Much of the land is mountainous, and soil erosion poses fertility problems. Finally, Haitian government is not equipped with the necessary resources to help its people. All of these factors take time to eliminate on multiple fronts, but until they are, Haitians need something to eat. We must show them new agricultural methods that can be successful in the country’s terrain and climate. Additionally, we need to show them techniques that do not contribute to the deforestation and soil erosion already prevalent in the country, but rather techniques that may even reverse the damage already done. We must help them help themselves and create an environment in which food stability is possible. Rather than giving the people of Haiti fish, we must teach them how to fish.

Life in Haiti is archaic. A little over half of the population lives in rural areas. In these areas, it is extremely rare to have electricity, sanitation, or any other modern convenience. Because there is no electricity, days begin and end with the sun. There is no local government, crime prevention, legal system, or organization of any kind. Each must fend for their own. A typical rural family in Haiti is composed of a father, mother, and 2-4 children. Because parents are not legally married, it is common for the father to be absent. Men are the dominant gender and make all decisions within the family. Women are expected to perform many tasks stereotypical to the female gender: keeping house and raising children, along with some field work, if the family is wealthy enough to own any land.

Near the coast, Haitians eat fish that the men catch using hollowed out logs as fishing boats. Further inland, Haitian farmers work approximately half an acre, but it is estimated that the average family requires about 3 acres to live normally, an amount of land which very few Haitian farmers have. The largest Haitian exports are mangoes and , but they also raise corn and sweet potatoes. Haiti imports 48 percent of its food consumed and close to 400,000 tons of each year. When times are good, rural people eat rice, , sorghum, and milo that the women typically cook in pits heated by burning charcoal. However, when the cost of imported food doubles in just two months as it did in 2008, Haitians either go hungry or resort to “mud cakes.” These “cakes,” made of clay, salt and shortening, are formed into gray disks about the size of a man’s hand. Not only are these cakes nutrient deficient and unappetizing, but they also cost money, something which Haitians have very little of. The idea of having gourdes, the basic Haitian currency, is almost inconceivable in some rural areas.

The life of the average Haitian is simple: they wake to the hot sun shining through the sticks that form their hut, spend the majority of the day bored, lying around, and fall asleep as the sun is going down. This may sound like the perfect vacation for some privileged Americans, but life in Haiti is by no means comfortable. For many of them, the day also ends with pains of hunger, in spite of the fact that they have spent their day scrounging for food. Even children join the search: eight-year-old girls can butcher a goat in as little as five minutes. Children living near aid organization bases can go to school where they receive another meal. The World Food Programme provides more than 40,000 elementary-aged Haitian children with a meal each school day in some 850 primary schools. For some of these children, the meal provided through the school will be their only food for the day. Although Christianity is the official religion of Haiti, and most schools are operated by Christian aid groups, it is estimated that over half of Haitians practice some form of voodoo, which is likely also a part of the average Haitian’s day.

Agriculture in Haiti is made very difficult because of the terrain and climate. Not only is there very little arable land, but farming in Haiti can be financially risky, and it can turn into a failure over night. In 2008 alone, 4 tropical storms wiped out more than 70 percent of Haiti‘s agricultural yields, all hitting within 30 days. Hurricanes pose a threat to the agricultural base of Haiti for about 6 months each year. Unlike problems with insects, weeds, and disease, there are no chemicals farmers can spray on to make them “hurricane-resistant,” so these storms pose a unique obstacle. For 2009’s hurricane season, experts have predicted 7 to 11 storms to rise from the Atlantic Ocean by the end of November, with 3-6 of them reaching hurricane status. Haiti is still recovering from last year’s hurricane season and is not equipped to face another devastating season. These natural disasters make it very difficult to ensure food security in Haiti. Infrastructure needs improvement, and food and water must be stockpiled for when disaster strikes. For this year’s hurricane season, aid groups have stockpiled enough food to feed up to 1 million people for a month and a half. The World Food Programme has deposited 63 go-anywhere trucks throughout the country as well as 112 metric tons of high energy biscuits to feed groups for the first five days after a hurricane in 13 critical areas. We cannot control these natural disasters. But we can control how we respond.

Hurricanes are not the only factor contributing to Haiti’s food insecurity. The island of , which Haiti shares with the , is very mountainous, and only about 29 percent of Haiti’s land is suitable for agriculture: approximately 8,000 sq. kilometers. Because of boundless deforestation in Haiti, soil erosion and natural resource degradation have occurred and successful farming is made even more difficult. Now take into the equation Haiti’s growing population of roughly 9 million, 75 percent of which live on less than $2 a day, and likely cannot afford the seeds, irrigation, , and herbicides that would make farming a profitable business. Also, many Haitians have not been taught how to farm successfully and cannot even read the label on a bag of seed. With all of these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, it is easy to understand why Haitians simply take the food given to them by aid groups and do not attempt to provide for themselves. To establish food security in this impoverished nation, citizens must be able provide for themselves.

Haiti has lost more than 98 percent of its natural forest. Deforestation has several adverse effects. Not only does it contribute to global warming, but it disrupts rain patterns, so that some areas do not receive sufficient rain for agriculture. Also, because there is very little vegetation, there is nothing to absorb rainfall. Rainwater tumbles down the mountainside without obstruction, eroding the soil, and enters cities, where flooding and catastrophe ensues, or straight into the ocean, where the soil is lost forever. Whichever occurs, aquifer water supplies are not replenished and drought results, making agriculture very challenging. As water table levels are going down, population and demand for clean water is going up. There are two government-owned water services in Haiti, but because of lack of funding and management, they are providing clean water to only 50 percent of the population. Haitians flock to the few areas where clean water is available, but because of inadequate infrastructure and sewage systems, the water is quickly contaminated, and the people are back at square one.

Between 1991 and 2002 food production in Haiti dropped 30 percent, per capita. This drop came just before a steady increase in population. In 2000, the annual growth rate was at 1.39%. By 2008, it was at 2.49%. The current condition of Haiti’s land is unable to support its population. There are approximately 330 people per square kilometer, and there is not enough fertile cropland to go around. If Haiti’s soil was restored and cultivated for agriculture, and steps were taken to insure farmers against the natural disasters that Haiti is susceptible to, food security could be realized. There would be more food and more productivity in general. Currently, two-thirds of the population is unemployed. With greater agricultural area and funding, the unemployed could be loaned a small plot of land, free of charge, on which to start a farm. The land could even be given to Haitians after they proved that they were willing to work and were able to produce high enough yields to provide food for more than just their family.

Although there are still malnourished people in Haiti, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the nation’s hunger crisis is improving. The IFPRI has developed the Global Hunger Index (GHI) as a method of tracking the state of global hunger and malnutrition. The Global Hunger Index ranks countries on a figure calculated by considering 3 percentages equally: the proportion of undernourished people, the prevalence of underweight children under the age of five, and the rate of mortality for children under five. Countries scoring above 10 are considered serious, scores above 20 are alarming, and scores above 30 are extremely alarming. In 1990, Haiti was ranked at 35.20, falling within the “extremely alarming” sector. By 2007, Haiti’s composite score was 26.97, giving it the “alarming” label. Of the three indicators used to calculate its ranking, the percent of undernourished Haitians was the most severe: 46% of Haitians do not consume enough calories. Although “alarming” is still not considered good, the numbers continue to look better. In 1990, developing countries set GHI target scores to meet by 2015. Haiti’s goal was to lose 18.4 points off of its 1990 score of 35.20. By 2007, it had lost about 8.2 points. The nations also set goals to improve each of the three factors considered in determining their GHI score. We can use the Global Hunger Index progress indicator (GHI-P) to measure their progress. Haiti’s GHI-P score in 2007 was 0.447. A score of 1.0 would indicate that all three goals had been met. The numbers show improvement, but they do not show what is causing the improvement. While they indicate trend changes in a positive direction, and the changes may be the result of an improvement in food security, another likely reason for the improving numbers is the increase in aid given to Haiti.

The numbers say Haiti is progressing, though we may not be able to see it. Changes in any country must be gradual. We cannot expect instant gratification for our efforts there. I do believe that someday Haiti can emerge from her impoverished, down-trodden state and become an upstanding and contributing nation of the world that will be able to help a country like herself. Before this dream can be realized however, changes in Haiti must be made. We must implement . Haitians must be taught how to restore their environment, produce food, control their population growth, and become self-sufficient. If we can establish agriculture in the forms of small-scale subsistence family farms and urban gardens, natural resource degradation will not be an issue. Subsistence farming is less damaging to the environment than is large-scale agriculture. Because of natural resource degradation, the environment must be repaired before Haitians in many areas of the country can use any agricultural practices that we teach them. Because soil erosion is the root of many of Haiti’s agricultural obstacles, we must solve that problem first.

To put a stop to soil erosion in Haiti, all deforestation must come to a halt and reforestation must begin. Most reforestation projects in Haiti have little to show for their work. The rate of deforestation has simply outpaced that of reforestation. After the hurricanes of 2008, the World Food Programme instituted a Food For Work Programme (FFW) in Haiti. The World Food Programme provided food to Haitians who “earned” it by working: terracing hillsides, building infrastructure, and rehabilitating the land. I think this concept could be used very effectively, not only to repair the environment, but also as a learning experience. With funding from developed nations, the UN, and private organizations and individuals, Haitians could be organized, given specific jobs, and located to critical areas, with the end result being the restoration of trees and other vegetation and the building of terraces to prevent future erosion. Haitians would learn the importance of protecting their habitat and that more vegetation and barriers equal less soil erosion.

The erosion of soil is only part of the problem. Another goal must be to enrich the soil and make it more productive. The solution to soil infertility may be found in Amazonia. The state of the Amazon’s soil is fragile. Without the trees above, the rain would wash the soil away, and what was left would be baked hard by the sun. Large scale agriculture in the tropics is impossible because any deforestation there would ruin the soil. However, in this place where a rich base for agriculture is not supposed to exist, you can find patches of terra preta do indio, which translates to “black Indian earth,” along the Amazon River. It is believed that these pockets of rich soil were created by ancient people by mixing charcoal from their fires, food, and other wastes into the soil. This practice makes for soil rich in phosphorus, calcium, zinc, and manganese, all vital minerals. These nutrients bind to the charcoal in the soil and are not washed away by rain. Additionally, terra preta remains fertile even after hundreds of years of sun and rain exposure. Terra preta could be the solution to depleted soil all over the world. This “black revolution” could be as monumental to agriculture in developing nations as the green revolution and Dr. Norman Borlaug’s innovations were. Terra preta is an inexpensive, simple technique that would be easy to implement in Haiti and could have great results. With richer soil, yields of coffee beans, mangoes, , , rice, and other crops grown would all increase and could be used to feed the hungry nation.

Not only must we enrich the soil of Haiti, but it must be kept in a fertile state. rotation is one method of maintaining rich soil. Growing a variety of crops on the same piece of land is not as draining on the soil’s nutrients as is monoculture. Growing the same crop year after year also increases the risk of disease, weed, and insect problems. Financial risk is minimized by crop rotation. Diversity increases the likelihood of success. Planting indigenous crops or plants around non-native crops helps to retain soil, and add to its fertility. Another method of maintaining fertility is composting. Livestock manure, food waste, and other waste products can be used to restore nutrients to the soil. Green manuring, which is the growing of non-revenue plants to restore nutrients to the soil, is another technique that could be used. These are basic agricultural concepts that would not be difficult to implement in Haiti, or any agriculturally suffering country.

These practices would make farming in Haiti more productive and improve food security. However, we must consider the fact that Haiti is in a tropical storm zone. With this added difficulty, measures must be put into place not only to feed the people during such a crisis, but also to protect farmers from the financial loss associated with these tropical storms. What the World Food Programme has done in Haiti in anticipation of hurricane season will be helpful should such a storm strike; however, to be self-sufficient, Haiti must be able to stockpile food for herself, and to stockpile food, the food must first be produced by restoring the land and then using the techniques aforementioned.

Most aid in Haiti arrives in the form of food. While feeding Haitians is important, I believe that there must be a shift towards aid in the form of money. Until Haitians can afford to purchase land and grow crops they will be dependent on foreign aid. Currently, foreign aid constitutes 30-40% of Haiti’s national budget. Haiti was also in about 1.9 billion dollars worth of debt until July of this year when the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and International Monetary Fund forgave $1.2 billion of its debt. While giving food to Haitians helps temporarily, it does nothing in the long-run. It also hurts the local farmers. When food is being given away, no one purchases food from the struggling subsistence farmers. While we still must feed the masses of Haitians, we must move our aid in a new direction. We must fund the restoration of Haiti’s land and teach the Haitians how to farm. I believe that the governments of developed countries and aid groups must play an active role in restoring Haiti because I do not think that Haiti has the political strength or infrastructure to achieve food security by herself.

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget that errand." These are the words of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States. As I sit in a beautifully furnished home in the heart of America’s farmland, typing this essay on a shiny laptop, and waiting for my dinner to be ready, children in Haiti and around the world are hungry. Tonight, my parents and I are having an entire chicken, potatoes, corn on the cob, and homemade bread. Tonight, millions of people around the world will go to bed still enduring the gnawing hunger pains that they have felt all day. I believe that as a privileged people, it is our responsibility to advocate for those who cannot be self-advocates. “We are here to enrich the world…” We must be contributing members to the betterment of our world. I believe that while it is our responsibility to guide and aid the undeveloped, it is not our responsibility to support them. We must not allow developing countries to become completely dependent on us. Our relationship with these troubled countries must be that of teacher and student. We must show them how to build their own success, and we must give them the tools to do so, but we cannot force a country into self-sufficiency, and we cannot build their success for them, because as soon as we put something we built into their hands, it will crumble. It must be a project of both parties. Haiti is just one of many suffering nations. Most of Haiti’s hunger problems stem from environmental problems. Natural resource degradation, along with tropical storms, makes food security in this country very challenging. There are three main points to improving food security in Haiti: (1) restoring the environment, (2) using effective and sustainable agricultural techniques, and (3) reserving food staples for hurricane season. If we can succeed in these areas, Haiti has a future as a self-sufficient nation. An integral part of accomplishing these three points is education of the people. Socrates believed that the goal of education was to improve the individual. Likewise, if you educate a populace, you improve a nation. Bibliography

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