small island states, food imports and
desertification
aldrin calixte, friends of the earth
haiti
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Over the past decade, small island
developing countries unilaterally
deregulated and liberalized their
agricultural sectors as part of the
structural adjustment process imposed
by the Bretton Woods institutions.
This liberalization often went much
further than commitments entered into
at the time of the WTO's Uruguay
Round of trade negotiations.
As part of this process, many of
these countries were granted
preferential access to markets in
richer countries, enabling them to
continue to trade even though they
were relatively small and therefore
less efficient producers.
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However, current WTO negotiations, which
aim to lower trade barriers in all
countries, would reduce the benefits that
many of the poorest countries receive from
trade preferences. Without trade
preferences, products from small islands
such as coconut, banana, sugar and spices
are likely to become uncompetitive at the
global level.
food imports and environmental
decline
Small island states are also
increasingly dependent on food imports.
Haiti , for example, now produces only 39%
of its own food, importing 54% and relying
on international food aid for the
balance.
The progressive weakening of economies
in these small island countries is a
significant barrier to governments seeking
to stem poverty, conserve natural
resources, and promote fair and sustainable
economies. Declining incomes also force
people to turn to other natural resources,
such as forests and fisheries, to try and
eke out a living.
barely a tree left in the forest
In Haiti, for example, some landowners
have been forced to give up farming because
they simply cannot compete with the
agricultural imports that now flow in
freely from other countries. Instead, they
overexploit local forest resources to
produce charcoal. This, together with
generally increased pressure on local
natural resources over the years, has led
to the disappearance of 99% of Haiti's
forests and the acceleration of land
degradation and desertification. In turn,
food availability and accessibility are
negatively impacted.
In short, trade liberalization has had
negative impacts on the economic,
environmental and social circumstances of
many small island developing countries, and
accelerated desertification will continue
to threaten people and environments in
these regions.
