Monsanto in Haiti series

Part 3 - USAID/WINNER: Shrouded in secrecy

Posted March 30, 2011

Part 3 of 4

Attempts to block investigation

USAID/WINNER keeps a lid on its activities and tightly controls access to its work. Haiti Grassroots Watch repeatedly requested an interview with USAID/WINNER agronomists and officials to follow up on the seed “gift.” Requests were repeatedly denied. Several WINNER employees told Haiti Grassroots Watch that before starting contracts, all staff had an agreement with Chemonics which prohibits their speaking with the media.

WINNER communications staff made sure that rule was respected.

In addition to denying interview requests, on March 7, Communications Director Maxwell Marcelin, who verbally promised Haiti Grassroots Watch responses to several questions sent on March 6, broadcast an email – obtained by Haiti Grassroots Watch – warning: 

… a journalist is trying to do a report, including the project USAID/WINNER… I would like to remind you all of the communication procedures – the only people authorized to speak in the name of the project are the COP and, by delegation, the DCOP. In addition, I ask you to be very vigilant and, if the case presents itself, do not respond to any question, no matter how simple it seems… It is important to advise us immediately of all incidents, or requests, in order to help us better respond.

Despite these efforts to shroud the Monsanto seeds from public scrutiny, Haiti Grassroots Watch was able to convince several staffers to pass on information.

Some spoke “on background” and one of them passed on an internal document: Preliminary Report on the seed donation of hybrid maize and vegetable seeds from MONSANTO which reveals a little about USAID/WINNER’s intent.

The Report

According to the document, USAID/WINNER received 60 MT of “DK003,” “DK1040” and “Yellow Corn Seed” on May 27. Presumably “DK” stands for “DeKalb.” In 1998, Monsanto bought the DeKalb Genetics Corp. for $2.3 billion, according to a US Justice Department document. (The Justice Department investigated the acquisition because of Monsanto’s near-monopoly of the seed business. It was approved.)

The document goes on to report that all 60 MT were distributed, with the most going to three plains where WINNER works: Cul de Sac, Cabaret/Archahaie and near Gonaives.

Page from the report.

Because the corn was delivered late in the season, very little had been planted by the time of the report (August 6), according to the document. Only a total of about 3.2 MT or “5.18 percent of the stock.”
 
The report continues:

There was a media campaign carried out against Monsanto seeds which were called GMOs by many NGOs and political leaders. GMOs (due to ignorance or paradigm), don’t have a good reputation in Haiti at the moment.

…

Despite a whole media campaign against hybrids under the cover of GMO/Agent Orange/Round Up, the seeds were used almost everywhere, the true message got through, although not at the level hoped for. [our emphasis]
…

We recently planted some field with Monsanto maize, meaning the yield figures are not yet available. But the mid-stream observations are very interesting.

…..

We are in the process of working as quickly as possible with farmers to increase as much as possible the use of hybrid seeds in the plain areas where it is possible to give them technical support.

Go to Part 4 - What Haiti Grassroots Watch Found

Go to Seeding Reconstruction? series

Go to Seeding Reconstruction or Destruction? summary and the video