Reaction To Interview Questions

Reaction to interview questions:

The two individuals I have interviewed here both have worked in the development sector in the Dominican Republic. One is a former lawyer who is currently working on a project with USAID. The second man currently works for a management group and has previously worked for the United States government to help protect its interests in the Dominican Republic and is currently working on projects that are centered on free trade with DR-CAFTA. It is interesting to note that even though both men come from different areas with regards to development in the Dominican Republic they share some common viewpoints. This stems from the fact that the government has no real defined goals when it comes to agriculture. This is not surprising when one sees that tourism and the service industry booming in the country. What is also surprising is when Mr. Abreu criticizes NGO’s and private institutions. One of the issues that I thought was a little surprising during my trip here was the high criticism with regards to the government in the Dominican Republic, but little complaints against private organizations, NGO’s, and international governmental agencies.  But here Mr. Abreu not only criticizes the government on its empty promises to agriculture but other institutions for not focusing on long term projects and not trying to fully integrate with governmental policies which unfortunately do not seem to exist. When the viewpoints of these two individuals are put together it seems as though two things must occur to make the Dominican Republic more successful with regards to agricultural production. First, the government must make a comprehensive plan with regards to agriculture so that other institutions can align with their goals. Second, private sector institutions or foreign institutions should focus on more long-term strategies to develop agriculture. If these things are achieved it seems as though inefficiencies in the Dominican agricultural system could be vastly improved upon.

-RJ