We saw a lot of livestock on this last trip to Haiti. I have LOTS of donkey pics (yee haw!). We even saw a few pigs, especially in Fonde Baptiste, in the mountains. I wish that I would have investigated whether they were HAITIAN pigs, US pigs, or FRENCH/CHINESE/GUADELOUPEAN pigs! Apparently it makes big difference.
So, why should you consider the Haitian pig?
- Because Haitian kids are often severely malnourished.There used to be a lot more pigs around to help feed them.
- A US policy eradicated the Haitian pig because of fear of the African swine fever. It was a mistake.
- We “replaced” the pigs we killed with US pigs, but…Oops, we forgot to check if they would survive in Haiti. Most did not.
- Many families kept Mango trees to feed their pigs. Since they no longer had pigs, many chopped down their trees for charcoal money. Deforestation is a BIG problem in Haiti.
- Many Haitians raise goats now instead of pigs. Goats eat small trees that pigs do not. More deforestation.
All this to say: we need to pay better attention to what’s going on with US policy towards Haiti.
Please consider reading this article on pigs in Haiti called “Saving Haiti’s Bacon” at New Scientist Magazine. That’s where you can find out about the FRENCH/CHINESE/GUADELOUPEAN pigs.
Is it a Haitian, a US, or a French/Chinese?