How the US Destroyed Haiti's Rice

Heritage Food Stories Podcast - Season 2 - Episode 4 - How the United States Destroyed Haiti's Rice IndustryWhat We Cover in This EpisodeHaiti's rice culture — why rice is not just a staple but the foundation of Haitian cuisine and identityHaiti's agricultural history — how the Artibonite Valley made Haiti one of the Caribbean's most productive rice regions, and how Haiti fed itself for nearly two centuriesReagan's Caribbean Basin Initiative (1983) — the often-overlooked starting point of US agricultural intervention in HaitiThe Duvalier era and US complicity — how Cold War politics led America to bankroll a violent dictatorship for decadesThe 1991 CIA-backed coup — the overthrow of Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand AristideThe "death plan" tariff cuts (1995) — how IMF/World Bank structural adjustment, backed by the Clinton administration, slashed Haiti's rice tariffs from 50% to 3%, flooding the market with subsidized American rice Haitian farmers could never compete withBill Clinton's 2010 apology — what he admitted, what he left out, and why the Haitian people are the ones who truly live with the consequencesThe destruction of Haiti's broader agricultural economy — peanuts, sugar, food sovereigntyThe Khian Sea incident (1986–1988) — how Philadelphia's toxic incinerator ash ended up on a beach in Gonaïves, Haiti, disguised as fertilizerThe Basel Convention — adopted in 1989, signed by 191 countries, still not ratified by the United StatesThe 2010 earthquake — and why overcrowded Port-au-Prince was a direct consequence of rural agricultural collapseHaiti's rice revival — the ongoing, slow, determined effort to rebuild food sovereignty in the Artibonite Valley and beyondFood as resistance — why choosing Haitian rice, telling these stories, and eating manje lakay (local food) is an act of solidarityRecipes:Diri Djon Djon (Haitiam Mushroom Rice) - https://globalkitchentravels.com/haitian-black-mushroom-rice-with-shrimp/Diri Kole ak Pwa (Haitian Rice and Beans) - https://globalkitchentravels.com/instant-pot-haitian-red-beans-and-rice/More Haitian Recipes - https://globalkitchentravels.com/haitian-recipes/Connect with Chef Mireille & Heritage Food Stories🌐 Recipes & Blog: https://globalkitchentravels.com/recipe-index/📬 Substack: Heritage Food Stories — Subscribe here https://heritagefoodstories.substack.com/📱 Instagram: @ChefMireille - https://www.instagram.com/chefmireille🎵 TikTok: @ChefMireille - https://www.tiktok.com/@chefmireilleEnjoying Heritage Food Stories? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people find these stories. Share this episode with someone who loves food, history, or both.Chef Mireille is a classically trained chef specializing in global food history, cultural migration, travel, and international recipes. Find over 1,000 recipes from around the world at globalkitchentravels.com

Get full access to Heritage Food Stories at heritagefoodstories.substack.com/subscribe