| Fidel Castro and the Fate of Organic Agriculture |
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| Written by Erika Fredrickson | |
| Wednesday, 20 February 2008 | |
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The resignation of Fidel Castro raises pretty important questions about how Cuba will change. Despite definite undemocratic characteristics, what Cuba has done is provide solid education, health care and an exemplary organic food system for itself. Which is funny since we in the U.S. keep asking for better services from our democratically elected leaders and, well, no cigar. Seriously, though, when it comes to agriculture Cuba has been an interesting experiment in what happens when you don't have a choice but to go organic. Cuba used to cultivate large-scale sugarcane crops for export, and imported agro-chemicals, hybrid seeds, machinery and petroleum to use in their agricultural production. The U.S. embargo was one blow to their economy, but when the Soviet Bloc (their only real trade allies) collapsed, everything changed for Cuba. But not for the worse. First, there was an immediate 53% drop in oil. Grain imports dropped by 50%, and other foods dropped by more. Agriculture faced a drop in fertilizers and pesticides of 80%, and daily caloric intake declined. In the years that followed, however, the Cubans developed methods in integrated pest management, biofertilizers, cover-cropping, conservation tillage, and animal traction. What happens to Cuba when and if it fully engages in world trade? Will it return to industrial agriculture and imports in order to compete worldwide? And another thing, if Cuba can rally toward sustainable agriculture in just a few years, why can't we -- in the face of climate change -- do the same? Food for thought: At their peak, WWII victory gardens in the U.S. provided 40% of our consumed produce. Source: Peter M. Rosset: Cuba: Ethics, biological control, and crisis |
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