EDITORIAL: Rice a luxury when you live on $2 a day: REVIVING HAITI'S AGRICULTURE IS A LONG-TERM EFFORT

Apr 24, 2008 (The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- -- There is no question that high food prices help to destabilize Haiti, a country still digging out from a decade of violence and economic decline. Last week's food riots left at least seven people dead and triggered the ouster of Haiti's prime minister. Hunger also motivates Haitians to board boats and risk death, as recently occurred in Bahamian waters.

The right direction

President Rene Preval got the message. He moved quickly to lower the price of imported rice, a critical staple, and announced plans to rebuild a once-vibrant agriculture industry. The international community jumped to deliver emergency food. However, improving Haiti's food production and other ailments requires long-term commitment. Turning around Haiti will not happen overnight. Mr. Preval is moving in the right direction. Even if the pace of change seems too slow, international donors need to keep their eyes on the prize.

The current crisis is a global problem and has multiple causes: the soaring cost of shipping food, the growing food demand in China and the push for corn-derived biofuels in the United States and Europe. Food prices have risen 83 percent in three years, and 33 countries are threatened by food-related disturbances, according to the World Bank.

In Haiti, where three-quarters of the people live on $2 a day, rice has become a luxury. President Preval did well to lower rice tariffs and negotiate with importers to cut the price of rice by more than 15 percent. Yet price subsidies and emergency-food aid cannot, and should not, last forever.

Reviving Haiti's agriculture will take political will and a lot of money. Beyond fertilizer, seeds and equipment, a decrepit irrigation system must be upgraded. Farmers need roads to take goods to market and other infrastructure improvements. The world community should help by providing debt relief and funding.

Increase funding

The United States should do more to boost Haiti's economy. Haitians need jobs to pay for food. The HOPE II trade bill, which offers duty-free entry to certain clothing made in Haiti, has helped create 8,000 jobs in a year. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek is pressing for enhancements that would spur even more textile jobs. HOPE II is a worthy proposal. Congress should increase funding for U.S. AID's Food for Peace program, too. It donates U.S. food to nonprofit groups and other agencies operating in food-insecure countries like Haiti.

Long-term, the United States and Europe should rethink agricultural subsidies, which artificially lower food prices. Competition from cheap commodities is one reason for the protectionist import tariffs and decline of farm industries in Haiti and elsewhere. Now food prices give Haitians more reasons to leave.

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