BY: HEATHER GIES | OCTOBER 29, 2018

Even before Hurricane Maria devastated the island back in September 2017, Puerto Rico already imported 85 percent of its food. Local farming declined decades ago amid U.S.-led industrialization on the island, following a shift away from diversified small-scale farms to plantation agriculture. An ailing economy, austerity, and the fact that 44 percent of Puerto Ricans lived below the poverty line all deepened household food insecurity.

BY: JONATHAN LEANING

BY: CHRIS MORRILL

“I don’t believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person. I have a lot to learn from other people.” — Eduardo Galeano, author of Open Veins of Latin America

It has been six months since the end of last year’s hurricane season, and the Caribbean is still picking up the pieces.

BY: CAROL SCHACHET

More than a month since Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, the island remains devastated. More than half the population remains without electricity, drinking water and basic sustenance, making it not only a catastrophe but also a human rights violation, according to Jovanna Garcia Soto, Solidarity Program Officer for Latin America at Grassroots International. She notes that water, food and tarps remain priority needs, especially in the central area of Puerto Rico.

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