Why is Haiti so poor ?

Of course there is no one single answer to this, and history and politics play their part. But aerial photographs that contrast Haiti and it's neighbour the Dominican Republic are striking. Simply put, Haiti cut down all of it's trees ! The result is soil erosion and vulnerability to flooding. The recent earthquake was a blow to what was already the world's most challenged nation. Is the crucial importance of reforestation and natural soil fertility being overlooked in development efforts ? How many NGO's really focus on the ability of a nation to feed itself by protecting it's own environment ?