As a group, we collectively agreed that degradation of the soil is a prominent issue in the production of food in Haiti. We believe that an engineering-based solution to soil degradation would impact the agriculture sector and increase the production of food available to the Haitian population. We based our decision on the use of a weighted matrix. The criteria we examined in the selection of our issue was possible cost, feasibility, effect on the population, prominence in the nation, and the possible solutions available to solve the issue. We believe that if we are able to propose a solution and restore nutrients to the soil, the burden from other issues, such as erosion and water for crops, would be reduced as well. Not many non-profit and governmental organizations focus on the degradation of the soil in Haiti and its effects. We want to bring awareness and tackle an issue that is being left to continually worsen with each passing seasoning (Barguot & Raizada, 2013). Although solving this issue will not completely solve food insecurity in Haiti, it will alleviate some of the burden and continue to bring change to the agriculture situation in Haiti!
Problem Statement
The issue our group has chosen to develop an engineering solution to is soil degradation due to the depletion of nutrients and minerals. The prominent causes of soil degradation are use of non-sustainable farming practices and extreme weather (Barguot & Raizada, 2013).
Summary
Food insecurity in Haiti has been a major public health issue the nation has dealt with for many years. The difficultly that the Haitian government and organizations face in addressing the issue of food insecurity is that there are multiple factors that contribute to the growing problem, as well as, its different effects on families and individuals. Some of the main reasons that people experience food insecurity in Haiti is due in part to poverty, over half the population lives on less than $2 or $1 a day, effects of natural disaster and extreme weather on the climate and land, and lack of the necessary resources of clean water and sanitation systems (World Food Program [WFP], n.d.). The issue of food insecurity in Haiti has resulted in many of its people experiencing hunger, around 40% of Haitian households were under or malnourished (United States Agency for International Development [USAID], n.d.).
Food insecurity is the result of a lack of food available to sustain a nation’s population. Haiti’s population currently stands at around 11 million people, with a median age of 23 (Worldometers, n.d.). Most of the Haitian population occupy the urban areas over the rural areas (Worldometer, n.d.).Recent natural disasters and extreme weather events, such as the 2010 earthquake, consecutive years of drought, flooding, hurricanes, landslides, and so forth have only severed to worsen the food condition of Haiti (WFP, n.d.). However, outside forces are not the only contributors to the decline in agricultural production in Haiti over a 30-year period (USAID, n.d.). Many small agricultural workers and farmers participate in poor, non-sustainable farming practices that has led to the degradation of the soil in many rural areas around the country (Barguot & Raizada, 2013). The reduction in agricultural production has resulted in many individuals unemployed because agriculture has been the main source of economic production for the nation and a high reliance on imported food (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.).
Informative Article on the Benefits of Composting Toilets
Hi all! I was looking at this cool website that lists about why composting toilets are good for soil. Basically to summarize what the article says is that the benefits of using a composting toilet is that it will help save water, since no water will be used to flush the waste. The waste itself decomposes, and in a way “self cleans” itself from harmful bacteria leaving only the nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are very essential nutrients for the growth of plants. Another reason why it is beneficial, is because many farmers use fertilizer that has inorganic materials that are easily washed away from heavy rainfall. I keep mentioning this composting idea, because I think we can incorporate this solution into our own solution. I have linked the article below.
https://holisticmanagement.org/land/composting-toilets-improve-food-soil-health/
Project Description
Welcome to our Food Insecurity in Haiti site! We are here to spread information about the lack of nutrients people in Haiti are receiving due to the inability to farm. The natural disasters they face constantly destroy the farmlands and leave them without food and with poor soil. Our goal is to engineer a solution to this problem and increase proper farming in Haiti.