agriculture sector, which faces enormous challenges such as
severe deforestation and unequal land distribution.
A commitment to purchase locally produced rice could
feed into an overall purchasing strategy of buying goods
and services from Haitian suppliers whenever possible.14 It
would mirror the “Afghan First” policy under which donors
now prioritize local procurement of Afghan products for
development programs. A “Haiti First” policy could boost the
local economy, create opportunities for Haitian businesses,
and help maximize U.S. investments in Haiti.
Haiti’s inclusion in the Obama administration’s global
hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future, is one
area where there has been significant momentum.15 Soon
after the earthquake, Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture worked
with donors to finalize a national investment plan with three
areas of focus: rural infrastructure, the agricultural value
chain, and the ministry’s institutional capacity. Donors gave
the plan broad endorsement in May 2010 and are to pledge
support for specific aspects by September. The United States
has led donor involvement in Haiti’s agriculture strategy,
working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture throughout,
and committed roughly $25 million in agriculture
investments for FY 2010.
As with the IHRC and the Haiti Reconstruction Fund,
meaningful participation of key stakeholders in the planning
and implementation of Feed the Future activities is the only
path to a country-led recovery. Feed the Future is poised to
be a flagship U.S. aid program in Haiti, but it will be business
as usual if it does not include new partners such as Haitian
smallholder farmers and peasant organizations.
Agriculture will not be the only driver of economic growth.
More than 90 percent of the workforce is in the informal sector,
where unemployment rates are above 70 percent. But prior to
the earthquake, Haiti had sho wn modest improvement, with
25,000 additional jobs gained from expanded trade access
in the U.S. HOPE II preferential trade program. New U.S.
legislative proposals would expand this program, lowering
tariffs to boost Haiti’s apparel industry as part of a broader
overhaul of trade preferences for developing countries.
In addition to jobs, Haiti’s workforce also needs livable
wages, higher-quality jobs, and fair labor practices. These
will require increased monitoring and enforcement of labor
standards along with financial and technical assistance to
help meet requirements.
Table 2: Summary of Key Haiti Poverty Statistics:
It is important that USAID lead the U.S. effort to support
reconstruction and development and respond to Haitian
priorities. Because of its focus on long-term development,
USAID is best positioned to coordinate the transition from
relief to recovery and should lead the U.S. development
effort in Haiti.
The USAID Administrator was put in charge of the
U.S. relief effort after the earthquake. Swift action to bring
immediate relief to disaster survivors had some notable
successes, such as the effective delivery of chlorine tablets to
purify drinking water, which led to a 12 percent reduction in
diarrheal illness in Port-au-Prince.19 A large-scale vaccination
effort staved off predicted outbreaks of cholera and other
diseases.
It is unclear who will lead beyond the relief phase and
how this transition will take place. USAID does not have the
authority to coordinate the numerous and disparate U.S.
government actors working in development in Haiti. While
a proposed “Haiti Coordinator” may temporarily fill the
leadership vacuum, naming yet another special coordinator
of a U.S. foreign assistance program will further dilute
USAID’s capabilities and add to the confusion.
A 2009 Save the Children report on the effectiveness of U.S.
foreign assistance programs in Haiti cites several examples
of how the efforts are handicapped.20 Programs under the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) are
overseen by the State Department but implemented on the
ground by USAID and the Centers for Disease Control.
• Ranks 149th of 182 countries on the Human
Development Index.
• 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day.
• An estimated 2.4 million people are food insecure.16
• Highest malnutrition rate in the region—more than 20
percent of children are chronically malnourished.
• One-third of all babies are born underweight.
• Western hemisphere’s highest maternal and infant
mortality rates; the highest HIV/AIDS rates outside
sub-Saharan Africa.
• Consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries
in the world.17
• 60 percent of energy needs are met through use of
charcoal, contributing to 98 percent deforestation.
With the highest malnutrition rate in the region, an
estimated 2.4 million people chronically food insecure, and
one-third of babies born underweight, Haiti has the least
capacity of the designated Feed the Future countries.18 A food
security strategy should be comprehensive, incorporating
agriculture-led economic growth, poverty reduction, and
proven nutrition strategies that address hunger and mitigate
the long-term effects of malnutrition, particularly among
women and children. The World Bank estimates that it
would take just $46.5 million per year, less than 1 percent of
Haiti’s GDP, to scale up 10 key maternal and child nutrition
interventions.
6 Briefing Paper, August 2010
Make poverty reduction and long-term development the
primary objective.