BLOG.TRACTORSHARE.ORG: Recent Comments

Comment on Urgent Focus: Haiti

Eric Ben Stubenberg — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:26:23 GMT

I have been actively supporting cost effective projects in northern Haiti for the past 15 years ranging from supplying fire fighting gear to local fire departments to organizing surgical team visits to small hospitals. In all cases the focus has been on maximizing value for dollars spent. When I was asked last year to join Tractorshare as Vice President, I readily accepted because it ascribes to the same philosophy: Get the most bang for the buck.

In the case of the surgical team, the cost was brought down to approximately $300 per operation (including hospital costs). That's about 1/50th of the cost in the US on average. TractorShare operates the same way--maximize efficiency exponentially. Indeed, a single tractor can till a field 20 times more efficiently than by hand and yield 20 times the yield. If that is multiplied 250 times over a year, we can expect to see an increase of food production around 5000 times over what was produced. In a country of 9-10 million people where hunger and malnutrition is endemic because of serious food shortages, this is obviously huge. That's why TractorShare is poised to play a major role in transforming Haitian agriculture and feeding thousands of people.

And what is the cost for alleviating hunger and preventing malnutrition for thousands over the next five years? About $15,000 per tractor. This covers acquisition plus transportation to Haiti plus local management. Operation and maintenance is paid through nominal leasing fees at or below cost. Once implemented, that will come to less than $3.00 per multiple of increase in production over the current non-mechanized method. This kind of bang for buck is hard if not impossible to beat. We have every reason to believe this will be the model for world-wide application to avert hunger, malnutrition, and starvation at the lowest cost. Please join us.
Ben

Comment on Urgent Focus: Haiti

Anne — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:48:48 GMT

I am just thrilled that TractorShare is taking this very unique and practical approach to dealing with fundamental development issues throughout the world. First stop: Haiti. Next stop: the world!!

You guys are quickly going to become one of my favorite worthy causes.

Comment on Green Farming Initiatives

Ben — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:21:41 GMT

The painful fact is that population growth has far outstripped Haiti's ability to feed itself, and getting worse as agricultural production simultaneously and sharply declines. Cheap, subsidized imported foods (until very recently) has exacerbated that decline as farmers could not compete on the marketplace for staples and quit farming. Deforestation and devastating storms compounded the problem. Sadly, it was not always so as Haiti once produced as much as 80% of its own food.

Reversing this downward food production trend, especially now that costs of foreign imports are higher, can happen by introducing mechanization to farming communities. A single tractor leased to a community can increase production for scores of farmers by several multiples, thus enabling them to be competitive as well as far more productive. In a country experiencing so much severe malnutrition that often leads to early death or permanent disability among children, simple measures to make much more indigenously food available at lower prices can have a huge impact relative to cost. Moreover, providing an incentive to farm available land with higher yields can also have the effect of reversing the massive migration trend to the cities and the attendant problems of unemployment, crime, and dislocation. If there is anything I have learned from years of traveling to Haiti, it is that it doesn't take a whole lot to make a significant difference when properly targeted.
Ben

Comment on Urgent Focus: Haiti

Cindy — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:57:10 GMT

Thank you for enlightening us about what is happening in Haiti and how Tractor Share can help farmers help themselves. We're 100% behind you!

Comment on Urgent Focus: Haiti

Ben — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:10:53 GMT

Just writing to say I checked out the blog and think it's great. Look forward to adding comments.