Haiti Earthquake Research Paper

Haiti is considered the poorest and the most densely populated country in the western hemisphere. Because of its topography Haiti is susceptible to soil erosion. Over several years Haiti has faced, high population growth, prominent poverty, significant food scarcities along and alimentary challenges. While rapid population growth has dropped, natural catastrophes, political and societal havoc’s have led to the country’s intense rise in poverty. January 12 2010 an immense magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti with an epicenter about 15 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Over 300,000 people were killed and some 1.5 million left to live on the streets. The earthquake was measured to be the worst this region had seen in over 200 years. After

Chavannes Jean-Baptiste leader of the Haitian Peasant farmers movement PAPAY exclaimed that the seeds would be disastrous to Haiti’s creole biodiversity. He called it “a very strong attack on small agriculture, on farmers, on biodiversity, on Creole seeds…, and on what is left of our environment in Haiti.” Besides farmers had plenty of seeds for the next growing season. Haitian Farmers vowed to burning all 150,000 seed sacks donated by Monsanto. Was there an underhanded motive behind this uninvited gift? Perhaps there was a capitalistic agenda behind this movement of “kindness”. Monsanto roundup ready seeds are designed to keep farmers in servitude to Monsanto. An agreement is required, stipulating that farmers will buy new seeds each year instead of using the ones reproduced by plants often times this is difficult and at high costs unaffordable to peasant farmers. Also the contract forbids buyers do conduct independent research using the seeds. Adding to the outrage, hybrid corn seeds were treated with fungicide Maxin xo and the Calypso tomatoes treated with Thiram which “belongs to a highly toxic class of chemicals calledethylene bisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs). Results of tests