On the Monsanto company website they describe how and why they have decided to lend a "helping hand" to Haiti. After the earthquake millions of lives were impacted negatively. An already struggling population has been exposed to an even greater hardship. Monsanto says they have donated money however, Monsanto believed a donation of products would have a better impact on the lives of those affected.
As we've already covered, the farmers and citizens of Haiti strongly disagree with the helpfulness of Monsanto's donation. If the people feel so strongly about this how is the government dealing with this? Monsanto has had a reputation for having aggressive marketing and speculations surrounding illegal maneuvers. So why accept the seeds?
In Haiti, a US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded agricultural project accepted the Monsanto "gift." USAID/WINNER (Watershed Initiative for National Natural Environmental Resources) is a five-year, $126 million US taxpayer-funded agriculture and environment program. WINNER is run by Chemonics International. USAID/WINNER's Chief of Party (COP), is not just any old Haitian… it is Jean Robert Estimé. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs under dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and subsequently worked for Chemonics in Africa. As a native of Haiti, Jean-Robert Estime held a number of positions in the Haitian government, including deputy minister of finances and economic affairs, ambassador of Haiti, and as minister of foreign affairs.
When Monsanto announced that they were fiving Haiti a gift, they said that it was because Haitian farmers did not have sufficient seeds. However, this was 2 months after the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) – which has extensive experience in Haitian agriculture development work – released a "rapid seed assessment" report for southern Haiti, one of the areas worst-hit by the earthquake. The assessment, circulated to humanitarian and development organizations working in Haiti, and another one whose findings were distributed in June, both recommended against the importation and distribution of seeds.
CRS wrote:
"Direct seed distribution should not take place given that seed is available in the local market and farmers' negative perceptions of external seed. This emergency is not the appropriate time to try to introduce improved varieties on anything more than a small scale for farmer evaluation."
Nevertheless, in its post-earthquake strategy document, the Haitian Ministry of Agriculture (MARDNR) called for massive seed distribution for three seasons post-earthquake, and gave its warm approval of the Monsanto "gift," even though allowing new varieties (the maize and most of the vegetable varieties) onto Haitian soil directly contravenes Haitian law and international conventions.
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