Over the past 10 years, Cuba has converted almost entirely to
organic farming, becoming a model of sustainable agriculture. Last
year alone, more than 3.2 million tons of food were produced in its
urban organic gardens — called organoponicos — and
farms. But as steps are taken to expand trade in agricultural
products between the U.S. and Cuba, the ‘strength of Cuba’s food
security’ will be challenged, notes Eliza Barclay for the
Environmental News Network. U.S. food exporters such as
Archer Daniels Midland, which in 2001 signed the first trade deal
with the Cuban government since the U.S. trade embargo was
established more than 40 years ago, are anxious to enter the Cuban
market, Barclay notes. And the Cuban government is hoping that such
deals will eventually spell the end of the embargo. How that will
affect Cuba’s organic revolution is anybody’s guess.
— Erica Wetter
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Cuba’s
Security in Fresh Produce
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