Agro-ecology
- Rio Summit - international summit on sustainability
- during 70s - 80s Cuba's agricultural model was an "industrial model" supported by socialist countries' imports of certain food goods
- Cuba is the most bio-diverse country in Caribbean
- Cuba has been able to face challenges during the periodo especial in agro-ecology through innovation, education, and technology
- 1990's the process is decentralized in order to make it successful
+previously, Cuba was dependent on what the government chose to grow and imports from other socialist countries
+ also dependent on inputs from abroad and big machinery
+ dependence = weak in the collapse of socialist countries

Neo-colonialism (U.S./20th Century)
- introduction of mass agricultural production
- high sugar exportation
- mono cultures widely used
- completely transformed the Cuban countryside
- 11% of population owned 80% of the land

1959 Revolution
- aimed to diversify agricultural products to benefit national production GDP
- this changes quickly after trade relationships are established with other socialist countries
- Cuba becomes dependent on export market
+ exploitation of national lands/environment

Access to Land
- people can't buy farms
- BUT Cubans can access land by buying a house with lots of land
- co-ops can be either Credit and Services co-ops or CPA's

"If people begin to think beyond food shortages and production and move into thinking about how food is produced, they can begin to change their thinking" - Fernando

Reflection: