Hahahaha, that the Haitians outfarmed the Surinamers sounds quite familiar. Here in Mexico there is a similar story in the state of Veracruz, and I don't even know where the afrodescendants came from. Anyway, it sounds impressive to outfarm Mexican campesinos, but they did it.

But who are the Surinamers anyway? Colonizing Dutch settlers? Or people who migrated from other Dutch dependencies, like Indonesia? Are there any local, indigenous, South American cultures left, who could impart their knowledge of working the land? I think that may be a key ingredient to successful farming.

Have you heard about Terra Preta? From what I've read, it was an indigenous way of the peoples of the Amazon, using one's waste (kitchen compost, human feces, charcoal from fires, and broken clay) to turn into dark fertile soil that was way more nutritious than what the rainforest would create, where most nutrients were up in the many layers of vegetation.

Okay, I don't know where I'm going with this. In any case, the situation of a poor selection of expensive produce makes me see it as an opportunity for food production. But then again, I'm sure others must have thought of this before... So maybe there is something about the whole situation (government?) that makes such ideas unfavorable? I don't know. I'm left with a feeling mixed of bewilderment and unused potential.