Foreign Aid to Haiti Makes the Poor Poorer
After the earthquake in Haiti, foreign aid poured into the country. One of most needed items was food – in particular rice – which flowed into the country in huge quantities. The rice imports into Haiti made it possible for people to eat without having to buy rice. In principle that makes sense, the Haitian people were left with virtually nothing and had almost no ability to pay for food. The vast quantities of rice pouring into the country have made it impossible for Haitian rice farmers to sell their goods. And so rice farmers in areas that were not directly affected by the earthquake are left with no ability to earn a living.
This has exacerbated an ongoing dilemma within the country. The level of rice exports from the US to Haiti has risen tremendously over the years and as a result, has driven the price of rice down in Haiti. The Haitian rice farmers can no longer compete fairly with the rice prices, and are left with very few options to support themselves and their families.
