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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@gilanet.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Successful Case Study of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:39:51 -0600


an excerpt from Cuba: A Successful Case Study of Sustainable Agriculture by
Peter Rosset
read the whole article at: http://www.foodfirst.org/cuba/success.html

... Abstracting from that experience, the elements of an alternative paradigm
might therefore be:

Agroecological technology instead of chemicals: Cuba has used intercropping,
locally produced biopesticdes, compost, and other alternatives to synthetic
pesticides and fertilizers.

Fair Prices for Farmers: Cuban farmers stepped up production in response to
higher crop prices. Farmers everywhere lack incentive to produce when prices
are kept artificially low, as they often are. Yet when given an incentive,
they produce, regardless of the conditions under which that production must
take place.

Redistribution of Land: Small farmers and gardeners have been the most
productive of Cuban producers under low-input conditions. Indeed, smaller
farms worldwide produce much more per unit area than do large farms. In Cuba
redistribution was relatively easy to accomplish because the major part of
the land reform had already occurred, in the sense that there were no
landlords to resist further change.

Greater Emphasis on Local Production: People should not have to depend on the
vagaries of prices in the world economy, long distance transportation, and
super power "goodwill" for their next meal. Locally and regionally produced
food offers greater security, as well as synergistic linkages to promote
local economic development. Furthermore such production is more ecologically
sound, as the energy spent on international transport is wasteful and
environmentally unsustainable. By promoting urban farming, cities and their
surrounding areas can be made virtually self-sufficient in perishable foods,
be beautified, and have greater employment opportunities. Cuba gives us a
hint of the underexploited potential of urban farming.






  • [Livingontheland] Successful Case Study of Sustainable Agriculture, Tradingpost, 08/07/2003

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