A crash course in changing the world.
Cuba's Organic Revolution
Wish to share something that was shared with me.
"The world's greatest organic farming experiment is going on right now and everyone who eats food should know about it." - Lisa Van Cleef, http://westgatehouse.com/art9.html
"Organic farming is still perceived as unusual and far from the norm. It was exciting to be in a place where the efforts of the entire government are behind sustainable agriculture. (Sustainable agriculture refers to an integrated system whereby the gardener works within natural biological cycles and uses only naturally occurring resources.) The idea of the small urban farm being highly productive, sustainable and the source of a nice income was heartening to see. Cuba proves it's feasible, it's happening."
Written by Hugh Warwick -
"The US trade embargo of Cuba, plus the collapse of the island’s Soviet market, has meant that the country has found it virtually impossible to import the chemicals and machinery necessary to practise modern, intensive agriculture. Instead, it has turned to farming much of its land organically - with results that overturn the myths about the ‘inefficiency’ of organic farming." - http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/twr118h.htm
In this article as well as related articles, we see how, out of urgent necessity, communitues can collaborate and produce remarkable results as a team or collective. Where differences are eradicated by common concern and this may be purely do to need for survival, but through the process of collaboration do we find other things that bring us together which fuels those that drive the project to continue it for lifetimes.
"The Grupo de Agricultura Organica is one of four winners of the 1999 Right Livelihood Award, chosen from more than 80 candidates from 40 countries. GAO brings together farmers, farm managers, field experts, researchers, and government officials to develop and promote organic farming methods. Its aim is to convince Cuban farmers and policy-makers that the country's previous high-input farming model was too import-dependent and environmentally damaging to be sustainable, and that the organic alternative has the potential to achieve equally good yields." - http://www.purefood.org/Organic/cubanobel.cfm
Read more about this on the links included!
Views: 37
Tags: Cuban, agriculture, collaboration, farmers, farming, organic
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Comment by Pradip Dey on March 12, 2010 at 5:24am -
Dear Fatima,
Good day!
While I agree with you that high-input farming models are too input dependent and export driven particularly for underdeveloped world. However, I always advocate for organic farming in a cluster mode and for select -set of crop, especially hi-value crops. For common foodgrain production, especially in under developed world like Africa, little input may yield wonder in nutrient deficient soils. Nitrogen is almost universally deficient. However, a mix of organic and inorganic which we call integrated nutrient management system is best way to solve hunger.
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Comment by Radhika Darbari on March 12, 2010 at 5:54pm -
I must say I find this blog amazing. I turned organic last year after realising morally and by principle I seemed to have been ignorant by just not realising I myself was against how we breed animals today. I think what Cuba is doing is a great thing. I thank you for sharing this. In response to Pradip I think you also make a valid point. I would more say in regards to grains and vegetables than animals, however thank you as well for bringing a different light. I am posting this on my facebook and hope more read. Organic farming is the way forward - helps slow down climate change and is more moral. In a health conference in 2006 it was estimated 1billion people are overweight, 800million lacking food..clearly MG and the way we farm now is not working, not for our health nor to provide correct food.
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Comment by Batandwa Alperstein on March 14, 2010 at 3:53pm -
Very cool stuff hey Fatima :) You should watch the video called Power of Community, its all about this agriculutral revolution in Cuba :)
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Comment by Patricio Buenrostro-Gilhuys on March 14, 2010 at 9:09pm -
We can learn so much from how Cuba responded with sustainable creative solutions to the challenges of food scarcity.
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Comment by Ken Eklund on March 18, 2010 at 7:04pm
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It's interesting to note that Cuba did not choose to innovate, it had the necessity to change thrust upon it because it relied on an external country (the Soviet Union). So when problems overtook the Soviet Union, Cuba found out very suddenly how non-resilient it had become.
It's also interesting to note that, according to some sources I've read, Cuba is moving away from its decentralized food production ideas, back to centralized food and imports. Why is that, I wonder?
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