February 20th, 2009
Haiti's Poor Eat Dirt

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The small island nation relies heavily on imported food, but with prices soaring, some Haitians are filling their stomachs with dirt. Cookies made of clay, butter and salt are a traditional remedy for hunger, and are even considered to have health benefits — the clay contains minerals such as calcium. But it can also contain germs and toxins, and depending on these dirt cookies for sustenance can lead to malnutrition.

Worldfocus visited Haiti’s Cité Soleil, where the cookies are manufactured and consumed, and produced this video:

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