The Haitian Economy (Routledge Revivals)

Book excerpt: Haiti is a very poor country with a stagnant economy. This title, first published in 1983, considers the Haitian economy, placing it in its historical context, and explores the reasons why it has performed so badly. Mats Lundahl examines agriculture, which has failed to provide an adequate standard of living, analyses the structure of agricultural production, and explains why the land is so unproductive. Lundahl analyses why technology in agriculture is so underdeveloped and argues that no government since 1820 has been seriously interested in fostering economic development, since vested interest consistently intervenes to discourage new projects.