Rice production was an integral part of the Haitian economy, as it has been farmed in Haiti for over two hundred years.
The decline in rice production caused by policies under the Caribbean Basin Initiative had devastating consequences for Haiti's rural population.
The adoption of trade liberalization policies and environmental degradation are said to be the two factors that have caused Haiti's decline in rice production.
[1] The result made Haiti inundated with subsidized rice imports while undercutting domestic production.
[2] The trade liberalization policies are strongly advocated and oftentimes mandated by international financial institutions.
Haiti continues to be the least developed country in the western hemisphere, particularly, it seems, because Haitian production of rice decreased exponentially.
There are no domestic institutions in Haiti that directly give aid or support to the struggling farmers.
Haiti needs time to build resources and therefore their economy in order to garner a chance at competing in the world markets.
This is precisely why there are several Haitian and international NGOs accusing the United States of using Haiti as a disposal area for the cheap implementation of rice.
"[3] There was study done on agriculture and food price policy in Haiti that provides a defense for those in favor of trade liberalization.
Food prices in Haiti have been seen as stable, claimed by the IMF, because of the cheap American rice swarming the coasts.
In addition, the IMF firmly states their doubt that raising import tariffs would achieve improved rates of rice production in Haiti.
Almost all imported rice samples exceeded the United States Food and Drug Administration's recommendation for children's consumption.
'[3] Once Haitians became independent the new peasant farmers continued to farm using techniques that garnered more profit than agricultural perpetuation.
The final reasoning for a decline in rice production is the common issues surrounding many farmers in countries that are less developed.
An abundance of inefficient farming machines also contributes to the slow mobilization of rice in Haiti along with the lack of an adequate storage system.
The health of the entire Haitian economy and society is threatened by the scarcity of the domestic rice trade.
However, the boats have been proven to be extremely dangerous and there is a large percentage of Haitians who die at sea in an attempt to reach their destination.
There was one instance that occurred in 2000 in which a boat, carrying Haitians to the Turks and Caicos Islands, capsized and killed sixty people that were on board.