Haiti 2040: Introduction
Food security - to produce or import? Haitian rice production has had a turbulent history, symptomatic of the disorganized and ineffective approach of international aid and trade in agriculture. In the 1990s, Haiti agreed to remove trade barriers for imported rice and other cereals, resulting in a flood of cheap American rice, which temporarily improved food security for urban dwellers but ultimately severely damaged the local economy of rice production. More than 10 years later, foreign aid investments in rice production technology are increasing yields and improving the competitiveness of local rice. In the context of rising global food prices, coherent agriculture and food security policies for Haiti are needed more than ever.
Haiti 2040 is the new applied research and policy support component of the Haiti Regeneration Initiative. Support activities are ongoing from 2010 and the core research and publication activities are at the proposal and consultation stage.
The goal is to provide and support evidence driven policy and planning support to the leadership of Haiti and its international partners. The focus is to inform and help catalyze the long-term regeneration of Haiti, working in the time frame of 3-30 years.
2012 Objectives
- Complete the current support on clean energy policy and planning.
- Expand practical support to multiple other sectors.
- Commence the Haiti 2040 publication series.
