News

Haiti, Japan Talk Food Security

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - December 6, 2012

Above: Haiti President Michel Martelly and Hideaki Domichi, vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti and Japan are eyeing increased cooperation in areas like the environment and food security, following talks in Tokyo Thursday.

Haiti President Michel Martelly, who is currently on a visit to Japan, met with Hideaki Domichi, the senior vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency to discuss areas of potential partnership, particularly in light of the damage caused to Haiti by a series of storms this summer.

Martelly said that with the passing of Sandy, Haiti grows increasingly vulnerable due to devastation.

“Each rainfall, even the most insignificant,” he said, “is a threat to the population.”

One area of common ground could be rice importation, with Haiti reportedly bringing in between 350,000 and 400,000 metric tonnes of rice each year from abroad, and almost 60 percent of its food products imported. That amounts to about $200 million each year, he said.

The United Nations has warned that up to 1.5 million people in Haiti could face food insecurity in 2013 without adequate help.

Martelly said that Japanese-Haitian cooperation must make food security a priority, and is seeking to benefit from Japan’s expertise in rice cultivation.

Also on Thursday, Haiti’s President met with the local Haitian community in Japan at Haiti’s Embassy in Tokyo, meeting about 50 people, mostly students.

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts haiti spirit airlines cap-haitien

Spirit Relaunches Flights to Cap-Haitien, Haiti

Spirit Airlines has relaunched its flights from Fort Lauderdale to Cap-Haitien on the northern coast of Haiti.  The low-cost carrier resumed the service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Cap-Haitien International Airport on Dec. 3.  The service is the only […]


Eastern Airlines Is Launching Flights to the Dominican Republic

dominican republic eastern airlines

The revived Eastern Airlines is back in the Caribbean.  The new iteration of the once-legendary carrier is set to launch expanded Caribbean flights in December with service to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Eastern Airlines will be launching twice-weekly flights from […]


From The Bahamas to Jamaica, The Talking Heads’ Caribbean Love Story

bahamas talking heads jamaica

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz’s new book, Remain in Love, is a billet-doux to his bandmate and wife of more than 40 years, bassist Tina Weymouth, as well as documenting the couple’s musical journey together — first, as part of […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You