Below is an update concerning food security in Haiti.  First though, I read  an interesting article in the Miami Herald about the critical role of coordination in Haiti relief efforts.  In fact, it notes that an uncoordinated flow of aid can cause harm, particular in a setting like Haiti where food is plentiful on store shelves but most people can't afford it because of high unemployment and global price hikes.  The best way to help Haiti right now is to contribute to both the organizations that can make a difference now and those that can help Haiti become self-reliant over the long-term.

Security and food security go hand in hand in countries like Haiti that are dependent on importation for survival.  President Rene Preval announced a 15 percent cut in rice prices and a series of measures to uphold national food production namely by providing subsidies, credit and technical assistance to farmers.  Rice exports are banned.  However, Haitians cannot survive on rice alone. Corn, beans, oil, etc. all remain expensive. The President has yet to appoint a Prime Minister who can assemble a new Cabinet.  We hope, whoever he or she is, the new Prime Minister will take food security seriously and communicate often with the public about what is doing to reduce food costs and improve national production.  This should have been a priority long ago.

Needless to say, a lot has happened in Haiti over the last few weeks.  We saw food rioting in Port au Prince, Les Cayes, and Gonaives. Reuters has photos available here. Food insecurity and the rising cost of living were the primary (but probably not the only) factors.  These tensions have been building up for quite some time and it is frustrating that the government did not intervene sooner.  In the end, the Prime Minister was ousted and President Preval made an appeal to the international community for support.  Now is a good time to review both what the Haitian government has done in response and which donors have stepped up to offer their support during this difficult time.