When the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, the communist country of Cuba lost its main supplier of food, fuel and fertilizer. Up until then, Cuba imported 80 percent of its food. Hunger and malnutrition followed as people waited in long lines for meager amounts of food.
The government offered state-owned farms to anyone prepared to grow food to help feed the suffering population. Without pesticides, fertilizer or fuel for tractors, Cubans turned to organic farming.
Miguel Salcines, the founder of Vivero Alamar Farm, grows food on his relatively small plot of land for 80,000 people in the surrounding area. He operates his farm completely without chemicals and earned an international reputation as a pioneer of organic farming.
Today, Salcines’ farm is one of 10,000 urban organic farms across the country that are gaining attention for their approach and hosting group tours, including many Americans.
Miami chef Jamie DeRosa praised the quality of Cuban produce. “It’s interesting to see a country with less resources than we have doing the very same farming we are just now becoming great at,” DeRosa said.
Now that relations between the U.S. and Cuba are improving, American companies are looking to expand to Cuba. Salcines’ said he expects a reintroduction of chemicals, but hopes the emphasis remains on organic farming.
Warm up questions
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Where do you usually see the word "organic"?
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What do you know about pesticides?
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Where is Cuba?
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What do you know about Cuba’s history and relationship with the U.S.?
Critical thinking questions
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How did the fall of the Soviet Union impact Cuba’s economy?
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Why did Cuba turn to organic farming? What could their approach teach us about how other countries could be compelled to farm organically?
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How do you think more open relations with the U.S. will affect Cuban farming practices?
