Haiti Food Prices So High Poor Eat Dirt

Food has become so expensive in Haiti that people who live in poverty are eating terrre which is a mixture of yellow mud, water, salt and vegetable shortening or margarine; even the price of terre is rising.

The price of food has risen so high in Haiti that people who ate living in poverty have resorted to eating a biscuit that is made from dried yellow clay mixed with water, salt and vegetable shortening or margarine. The report on the Telegraph.co.uk site says that the mud which comes from Haiti's central plateau region, is first strained and then shaped into biscuits which are left in the sun. Locally the biscuits are known as terre and have traditionally been eaten by children and pregnant women as an antacid and source of calcium. Now, for far too many, terre has become a staple. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has recently declared a state of emergency in Haiti and several other countries. The FAO calculates that food prices have rocketed by as much as 40 per cent due to floods and crop damage caused by the 2007 hurricane season. The price of 2 cups of rice, at the market in Haiti's La Salines slum, is 60 US cents, up 10 cents since December and 50 per cent from a year ago. Other items such as beans, condensed milk and fruit have gone up at a similar rate. The price of the clay itself is on the rise but at five cents each, they are still relatively cheap. Gerald Callahan is an immunology professor at Colorado State University and has studied geophagy which is the scientific name for dirt-eating, he warns that mud can contain dangerous parasites or toxins. On the other hand it can also strengthen the immunity of unborn babies to certain diseases. Dr Gabriel Thimothee, executive director of Haiti's health ministry, said: "Trust me, if I see someone eating those cookies, I will discourage it."