the tropical sun.
Eco Cuba Exchange and
The Institute for Food and Development Policy
OPTIONAL RESEARCH EXTENSION
May 16 - 21, 2010
This research tour takes place during a major conference in Cuba on Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, organized by the Latin American Agroecological Movement (MAELA), the Latin American Scientific Society of Agroecology (SOCLA), and the Cuban Association of Agriculture and Forest Technicians (ACTAF).
This fortuitous circumstance affords us unprecedented access to Cuban agriculturalists and in depth site visits.
In the early 1990's, Cuba's agricultural system and food supply were decimated by the tightening of the U.S. embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union (which had supplied the majority of Cuba's food imports (chemical fertilizers and pesticides, fuel for transportation, feed for farm animals, and almost 60% of Cuba's food. Cubans referred to these years as the "Special Period."
Due to the severe shortage of hard currency for the importation of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, Cuba was forced, in the early 1990's to begin to practice organic agriculture on a nationwide scale, with some very exciting results. There are currently tens of thousands of organic gardens in Havana alone and over a million across the country. In the late 1990's, the Cuban Association for Organic Agriculture was granted the International Right Livelihood Award (the Alternative Nobel Prize) for its efforts.
Organic agriculture continues to be supported and expanded at government and grassroots levels. Havana now grows over half its fresh food organically, and locally. Cuba hopes to be self sufficient in the production of many of its basic foods within the next decade.
University graduates in agronomy are handsomely rewarded for contributing their knowledge of research, technology and administration in both rural and urban agricultural settings. This entices educated young Cubans to return to the countryside by offering them stimulating and productive employment.
All Cuban young people are introduced to agriculture and food production as part of their education, spending at least one summer during their high school years, farming in the countryside.
Global Exchange and Food First co-organized the first U.S. delegation to Cuba focused on sustainable agriculture in 1993, then co-authored the seminal book on the subject, The Greening of Cuba and collaborated on an award winning video of the same title.
Global Exchange organizes regular delegations of professors and practitioners of organic agriculture to Cuba, who have developed exchange programs through their universities and communities. These relationships are now proliferating, with scientists and farmers expanding their own joint projects between the U.S. and Cuba. It is only the U.S. embargo that interferes with the full development of these joint projects.
This research delegation is organized by Eco Cuba Exchange , a program designed to promote environmental interchange between U.S. and Cuban environmentalists. Check out our Eco Cuba Exchange Delegations for additional environmental tours during 2009 - 2011.
For more information on Eco Cuba Exchange and on the program for the Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Gardens Research Tour, please contact:
Pamela Montanaro
or call 510-649-1052.
Global Exchange Reality Tours has over 20 years experience arranging Cuba travel for professional, educational, cultural, and "people to people" delegations to research every aspect of Cuban life. For information on the travel logistics for the Sustainable Agriculture delegation, see contact information below.
Program Highlights:
- Scale Model of Havana
- Meet with Cuban Architect/City Planner
- City Tour/urban gardens/farmer's markets
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Tropical Agriculture Institute (INIFAT
- Provinces of Pinar del Rio, Matanzas,
- Villa Clara and Sancti Spíritus
- Dairy and vegetable production farm
- Local farmers and Community projects
- Neighborhood organization, (CDR)
- Vermiculture project
- Pastures and Forages Station
- Cubasolar NGO
Cost: $2550, double occupancy when available; single occupancy supplement, $300. Fee for optional extended tour TBD.
Price Includes:
- RT flight Cancun/Havana/Cancun, Cuban visa, double hotel accommodations, breakfast daily, translation, transportation, and program fees.
How to Register:
To register, please send in your application form and a deposit of $400. Your deposit is non-refundable once we have purchased your round trip tickets from Cancun to Havana, unless, for some reason, Global Exchange must cancel the tour, in which case, your deposit is fully refundable. Your full payment is due 45 days before departure. Payments by Mastercard, Visa and Discover are welcome.
This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. In some cases, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low income applicants.
We strongly recommend travel insurance for all international travel!
Important Travel Guidelines and Cancellation Policy
Cuba Research Delegation Application Forms
are available here.
Make your reservation online now!
Contact Drea with any questions about this trip,
or call toll-free
Trips on related issues: