Food crisis in Haiti

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  A motorist crosses the gateway welcoming visitors to L'Estere, Haiti, a rice growing village in the Artibonite River Valley Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. Decreased rainfall and two storms have destroyed rice crops, say farmers. The destroyed crops and increased food prices have created food security concerns in the region. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  A bird scavenges through the devastated rice paddies that dot L'Estere, Haiti's rice growing valley, where fields stand idle with overgrown weeds and sun-burned stalk on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  A farmer sits on the side of a dirt road in L'Estere, a rice-growing village in the Artibonite River Valley in Haiti, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. Farmers say they were barely getting over a drought when they were hit by Tropical Storm Isaac followed by Hurricane Sandy. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Farmers sit on the side of a dirt road in L'Estere, a rice-growing village in the Artibonite River Valley, as Nelson Salon, right, transports bags of rice on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012. The women say the devastated rice fields has meant less purchasing power for them to cope with the rising food prices in Haiti. Even those who have managed to harvest rice find it difficult to sell. Of the 400,000 metric tons of rice Haiti consumes annually, the country only produces 80,000 locally. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  A farmer in Haiti's Central Plateau region toils his land Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. The lack of modern equipment, fertilizer and other inputs makes it difficult for Haitian farmers to live off the land. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  A cattle farmer strolls with his cows north of the Central Plateau on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. Preliminary damage estimates from Hurricane Sandy in Haiti by the government list loss to livestock and agriculture at $104 million. The country had already registered $70 million loss from Tropical Storm Isaac in August. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Just days before Sandy cut a path of death and destruction in Haiti, farmer Anadieu Anatis was preparing his land to plant soygram and beans Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. The farmer lives in Morne Dales, an isolated rural village on the road between Port-de-Paix and Jean Rabel in Haiti's neglected northwest. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Just days before Sandy cut a path of death and destruction in Haiti, farmer Anadieu Anatis was preparing his land to plant soygram and beans Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. The farmer lives in Morne Dales, an isolated rural village on the road between Port-de-Paix and Jean Rabel in Haiti's neglected northwest. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Four consecutive days of relentless rain left Haiti's southern peninsula battered. Rural towns like Petit-Goave, once spared from Haiti's food crises are now feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Farmers like Jeannita Constant lost their banana crop on Friday, October 24, 2012. The mother of three small children said the fallen trees represent "lots and lots of money lost. Life will become even more expensive." CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Four consecutive days of relentless rain left Haiti's southern peninsula battered. Rural towns like Petit-Goave, once spared from Haiti's food crises are now feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Farmers like Jeannita Constant lost their banana crop on Friday, October 24, 2012. The mother of three small children said the fallen trees represent "lots and lots of money lost. Life will become even more expensive." CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Just days before Sandy cut a path of death and destruction in Haiti, farmer Anadieu Anatis was preparing his land to plant soygram and beans Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. The farmer lives in Morne Dales, an isolated rural village on the road between Port-de-Paix and Jean Rabel in Haiti's neglected northwest. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

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  Four consecutive days of rain in Haiti left Jeannita Constant's modest banana plantation under water and in ruin on Friday, October 24, 2012. The mother of three small children said the fallen trees represent "lots and lots of money lost. Life will become even more expensive." CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF