Images of Haiti’s food riots and poor families eating mud pies created a sense of urgency in Haiti’s food crisis and brought about a wave of food aid and donations to the country. While most certainly welcomed and appreciated by Haiti’s residents, the food drives were only just a quick fix to a severe problem exacerbated by rising fuel costs, increased food demand, and U.S. subsidized rice that proved to be disastrous for Haiti’s small farmers and thereby resulted in a drastic decrease in local rice production. More shocking is that a recent story by the Associated Press (“Haiti Food Aid Lags, Hunger Deepens,” July 20, 2008) reveals that only a fraction of a key U.S. food pledge — less than 2 percent as of early July — has been distributed. Ultimately, breaking the cycle of hunger will rely on more than just food aid to the country and will require investment in Haiti’s farming sector to work towards sustainable development.
Restoring Haiti’s agricultural sector is a prerequisite for building other parts of its economy. While food aid and imported food purport to address the problem, they only exacerbate it by flooding the market and crippling local agriculture’
The Lambi Fund of Haiti partners with and finances agricultural and environmental projects in Haiti to encourage national production and address the severe problem of hunger. The non-profit participates in community micro-credit funding, animal breeding projects, irrigation pumps for quality water supply, and a reforestation movement that incorporates tree planting, tree nurseries, and agro forestry practices. For instance, Lambi Fund helps seed a micro-credit fund with a one time start-up grant to a partner peasant-led organization, after which time micro-credit fund members are expected to continue the fund with profits earned from interest and may borrow money to start other businesses. These types of projects work towards social and economical empowerment of the Haitian people while ultimately working towards establishing food security.
The non-profit’s sustainable development project is actively seeking additional funding for ox plowing service; micro-credit, seeds, and tools; women’s micro-credit;
Contact:
Fabiola Fleuranvil of Blueprint Creative Group
(404) 437-0078
Fabiola@BlueprintCreativeGroup.com
www.BlueprintCreativeGroup.com
