food - Haiti Observer Blog

Pediatric malnutrition is sadly prevalent in Haiti. The major problem with the epidemic is that, as well as the bloated stomachs common to the issue, children are at the risk of their growth being physically hindered by the stunting effects of the lack of protein that plagues those from poor countries. Hoping to offer a permanent solution to the problem, a new product to combat malnutrition, called Nourimanba, has been developed and a batch shipped for distribution in Haiti.

High in calories and protein, Nourimanba is a peanut based food that uses vegetable oil, a much needed mixture of vitamins as well as sugar to provide a balanced meal in one serving to children at risk. The venture will be highly localized, with a Haitian-run facility, using peanuts grown by farmers within the country. The pilot project, giving patronage to 300 local farmers, will also serve to ramp up the quality of the supplied peanuts being used at the factory.

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Haiti has been depending on food aid for over last 50 years. Decades of inexpensive imports has destroyed the local agriculture. Haitian import tariff on food at 3% are among the lowest in the Caribbean. As a result, Haiti is unable to feed himself.

Today Haiti depends on the outside world nearly most of its sustenance. Fifty five percent of the food eaten in the country is imported, mostly from U.S and the Dominican Republic; this includes 80% of all the rice consumed within the country. However, recently some of the international aid agencies have raised a cry of alarm. Haiti is facing severe food shortage. Almost two-thirds of the population (around 7 million people) is hungry.

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Here is a video I found and wanted to share with you. In brief this video is being promoted by Harry Nicolas, AKA: Met Fey Vet. The video shows the various food items produced locally in Haiti that we can consume without the necessity to import from the Dominican republic or the US.

Mo Chè, pou-m di ou vrèman, Lè k map gade mage sa yo, Bouch mwen kole dlow"

Now do you remember Harry Nicolas. He is the Haitian nationalist who successfully organized the "Kita Nago". He helped organized the walk of unity. He is the same person who has been promoting this concept. "Ayiti Manje Lokal"

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What a parallel!

You give me more food and I will produce more babies

It has been reported that a food distribution program in the town of Savanette is suspected to be the principal reason for an increase in pregnancy among girls and women in the area.

A USAID-funded World Vision food assistance program that started in 2008 until September 2013 in several communities around the town of Savanette has been distributing food to pregnant women and mothers of children from six to 23 months old.

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Food aid has been delivered to Haiti for the past 60 years, in two decades 1.5 million tons. Seven million people out of a population of 10 million suffer from hunger, and 1.5 million suffer acute chronic malnutrition. Infrastructure weaknesses, waste, and "the perverse effects" concerning food aid drive the crisis.

The government of Haiti (GOH) and outside donors pay no attention to the agricultural sector, pertaining to its growth and sustainability. The industry accounts for one-quarter of gross domestic product (GDP), but that figure has dropped. For many decades, scant investment from GOH and outside donors has occurred. Conversely, food-aid funding outpaces agricultural funding by more than 50%.

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A truly versatile meal that can be enjoyed at any time of the day, Plantain Purre or Labouyi Bannann is a favorite in Haiti. Its wholesome, filling portions make for a nutritious, appetizing treat.

What you will need:
• 1 plantain (green)
• 1 banana (ripe)
• 12 oz can of evaporated milk (soy milk can be substituted)
• 12 to 14 oz can of coconut milk, or 1 cup of regular milk
• 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 2 anise stars (whole)
• A pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1/2 a cup of sugar (can be either white or brown)
• 1/2 tsp. lime rind (grated) or 1/2 an inch lime rind (whole)

What you should do:
1. Peel the plantain and then cut it into slices of about 1/2 an inch in thickness.
2. Puree plantain slices in a blender with 2 cups of water and the ripe banana.
3. Bring plantain and banana puree to boil over low to medium heat and bring to a boil.
4. Add additional ingredients, evaporated or soy milk, coconut milk or regular milk, vanilla extract, anise stars, sugar, lime rind and nutmeg.
5. Bring to boil and stir occasionally.
6. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it becomes the consistency of oatmeal. Serve while still hot.

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They came with the promise of publicity to bring awareness to the plight of Haiti's food crisis. The idea was that they could raise awareness of the current conditions by touring facilities like the farmers market, snapping pictures of desperate adults and children and talking with the press in Haiti and abroad about the experience. However, one Haitian mayor wanted none of it, and wasn't afraid to protect what she viewed as the integrity of her town from the intrusive good-doing of two celebrity chefs.

John Besh, a finalist on the Food Network show, The Next Iron Chef, and Aaron Sanchez, who appeared on the shows, Heat Seekers and Chopped on the same network, flew in to Haiti on Sunday, July 28th and promptly toured one of the numerous settlements established by the homeless in the wake of the earthquake three years ago.

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An unconventional food-stamp practice has been occurring for months, perhaps years in the U.S. It has been discovered immigrants from the Caribbean region, including Haiti have been using their food-stamp allotments to send food to family back home.

Defrauders use their food-stamp debit cards to purchase food items impossible to find, or afford in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Haiti. They spend months filling 50-gallon barrels with $2,000 worth of food staples. The barrels aren't cheap, costing about $40. An additional $70 is required to ship the barrels to Haiti, a three-week journey. Even immigrants who can't get food stamps save for months on end to fill a barrel with essential food items to send back home.

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The Haitian President Michel Martelly is working on his next career. In this picture, he is having the ingredients for making Tomtom mashed in a "pilon."

The regional dish Tomtom is unique to Jérémie and the Grand'Anse Department of Haiti. It is made of steamed breadfruit (lam veritab) mashed. One very important aspect of this dish is that you can't chew it. Tomtom is made into round balls and swallowed with a sauce made of okra (kalalou, Gombo) cooked with meat, fish, crab, and spices.

What you will need to make Tomtom ak Kalalou Gombo :
• 1 breadfruit
• 2 tbsp. pikliz
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb okra (frozen or fresh)
• 1/4 lb of in-season seafood (pre-soaked salted fish or cooked fish or crab)
• 1 cup of djon-djon mushrooms
• 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
• Lemon zest
• 1 tsp garlic powder

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Haiti has been bracing for an extreme food shortage, and it is arriving as the June and July harvests are set to begin. This year's rainfall is anticipated to be well below average. The Spring-Summer harvest season is important because crop yields comprise two-thirds of the harvest that contributes to the island's yearly food output.

Other factors causing agricultural underproduction include 2012's drought and two major hurricanes that hit that year as well. Of the 10 million people living on the island, 75% of them exist on barely $2.00 a day. Of this figure, 1.5 million are suffering from malnutrition, 82,000 of them pre-schoolers. Unfortunately, the country experiences one of the highest levels of child hunger in the Western Hemisphere, which contributes to its high ranking on the failed states index.

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