This year we are fortunate to be able to offer our participants two possibilities:  our annual introductory Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Gardens research tour or participation in the Third International Agroecology Conference in Havana province.  Read on...

Eco Cuba Exchange invites your participation on our annual November Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Gardens in Cuba introductory agricultural tour.  The program is organized by Eco Cuba Exchange, in conjunction with our Cuban hosts, the Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation for Nature and Humanity and includes an overview of Cuba's Sustainable Agriculture sector and related environmental fields.

This year's research tour includes a possible two day visit to the III International Agroecology Conference being held in Havana province.

For more information on this year's research tour and to register, email Pam Montanaro, Eco Cuba Exchange Coordinator or call 510-649-1049.
 

For those of you who would like to attend the entire International Agroecology Conference that is being held in rural Havana province November 20 - 26, the Conference is organized by the "Campesino to Campesino" movement of Cuba's National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), La Via Campesina, and Latin America Agroecology Movement (MAELA).

Check out the Agroecology Conference Brochure below.

Global Exchange Reality Tours, a licensed Cuba Travel Service Provider, will be happy to arrange for your travel from Cancun, Mexico to Havana to attend the conference.

For more information on the conference and to register, email Pam Montanaro, Eco Cuba Exchange Coordinator, at 510-649-1049.

Also below, please read the history of the development of the Agroecology Campesino to Campesino Movement in Cuba, a must read for all participants in both groups!

Background

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 island nation. 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 of their high school years, farming in the countryside. Many elementary and high schools include organic agriculture in their curriculum; the children grow and sell their produce in their own farmers market.

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. In 2004-5, Global Exchange worked with Ohio-based community solutions on the (also) award winning film The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil that focuses on Cuba's policies and practices providing locally grown, organic food for its people.

Global Exchange organizes regular delegations of agricultural professionals and practitioners of organic agriculture to Cuba, some of whom have subsequently developed ongoing exchange programs through their universities and communities. There is no lack of enthusiasm for these partnerships. It is only the U.S. embargo that interferes with the full development of these joint projects.

A sample itinerary for this tour is attached below!

For more information about this tour and the conference, please email Pam Montanaro, Coordinator, Eco Cuba Exchange and/or call: 510-649-1052

For articles and videos on Urban Gardens and Sustainable Agriculture in Cuba as well as general resources on environmental protection and sustainable development in Cuba, click here