A Word or Two (or Three) on Buying Locally and Supporting Local Economies

A while ago, I stayed at a hotel with scores of international aid workers in Haiti. On my last day, I sat for lunch. As I started to think of what I could eat, I couldn’t help notice the group of volunteers sitting across from me indulging in what was a feast of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Wonder Bread. Indeed, everyone longs for the comforts of home in challenging situations, especially the comfort foods. But this was not the case. The aid workers talked of needing to fill their nutritional needs in the face of plantains and rice filled meals. This was not the first time I had noticed this practice. Many foreign aid workers and visitors will bring with them items because they assume they will not be able to obtain them locally. Oftentimes, if they were to take the time, they would realize that many items, including peanut butter, are readily available in many flavors and varieties.

In Haiti, creating peanut butter is a family tradition passed on from mother to daughter and even to son. Peanuts are grown readily in the country side, and are a cash crop in parts of the country, including the southeastern part of Haiti where we work. Local peanut butter comes in many flavors, from honey to the traditional spicy peppery blend (my favorite). To avoid any potential hygiene problems in the production of peanut butter, one can purchase locally produced brands, which follow stricter standards, in the countries scores of US styled supermarkets.

Purchasing peanut butter locally means income for the farmers who grow it, the women who roast the peanuts, the mill owner who grinds the peanuts into a paste, the small businesses who have started producing it as a value added good in the face of fierce competition from imported agricultural products; and tuition for the children of these workers as well as the preservation of local culture and culinary know-how-not to mention a treat.

So when traveling overseas, especially with the purpose of helping, remember that you help just as much with where and how you spend your dollars as you do with your presence. Think before you bring and buy local as much as possible!