In response to requests for information from several sources, Cuba Support Group Ireland has drawn up a list of sources of information on the Cuban experiment in sustainable food production based on the organo-ecological model. Please share widely if you find it informative. This is not an exhaustive list – it merely scratches the surface of knowledge available from Cuba on the topic.
If you are not yet a convert: you will be. You will be hearing more about this as the effects of climate change, peak oil and the systemic crisis of neoliberal capitalism become increasingly undeniable. Ireland will need to cut its use of the Earths non-renewable resources by at least 60% to become sustainable, for us that is mainly imported fossil fuels. In contrast, Cuba can afford to increase its demands on its ecosystems by a further 11% and still remain below the average carrying capacity of the planet. Cuba is also the only country in the world with a sustainable tourist industry.
Click on the links below to access the detail of Cuba’s sustainable development model.
LECTURE
Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, lecturer in botany at NUI Galway and longtime member of CSGI, has produced a very informative 40minute illustrated lecture on the Cuban model of organo-ecological farming which is freely available on-line here: http://www.vimeo.com/5647036 (slow to start – takes about 30 secs, be patient)
RESEARCH
Food first – CULTIVATING HAVANA: Urban Agriculture and Food Security in the Years of Crisis: http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/devreps/dr12.pdf
Post Carbon Institute – Organic fruit and vegetable growing as a national policy: the Cuban story http://www.energybulletin.net/node/13067
Post Carbon Institute – Low-Energy Lifestyle: Lessons from Cuba: http://www.energybulletin.net/node/4273
FILMS ON DVD
“The Power of Community: how Cuba survived Peak Oil” is available mail order from: http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php
“The Greening of Cuba” is available mail order from: http://www.foodfirst.org/node/1135
Cuba: An Accidental Eden by PBS (USA) 2010: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/cuba-the-accidental-eden/video-full-episode/5834/#comment-27258
MEDIA
Bolivia’s proposed Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth: http://pwccc.wordpress.com/programa/
Urban farms: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/08/urban.farming.city.growing.food/index.html?iref=allsearch
Havana journal, http://havanajournal.com/business/entry/organiponico_agriculture_in_havana_city_cuba/
CAMPAIGNS
World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Index 2006 (Cuba is the only country developing sustainably): http://assets.panda.org/downloads/living_planet_report.pdf
Happy Planet Index (Cuba ranks 7th in happiness index): http://www.happyplanetindex.org/public-data/files/happy-planet-index-2-0.pdf
Via Campensina: http://viacampesina.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=5&Itemid=27
Cuba Organic support Group (UK): http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/international_programme/ip_cosg.php
ECO TOURS
Cuba Support Group Ireland can organise a full organic tour tailor-made to the needs of your group for as little as €500 for 2 weeks full board (plus flights). We need a minimum group size of 10 people and 3 months advance notice (not including August for which Cuba shuts down). It is best to avoid the hurricane season which stretches from August to October. We run regular solidarity brigades twice a year to Cuba incorporating a few mornings working on a Cuban organiponico (organic community garden). Check www.cubasupport.com for details of the next brigade.
TRAINING PRESENTATIONS
Cuba Support Group Ireland has a number of PowerPoint presentations and speakers available dealing with issues of sustainable development, Latin American integration, community empowerment, resilience, healthcare and Cuban society which can booked for your meetings.
If you have found a good source of information on this topic we would appreciate if you could forward it to us via for inclusion on our data base.
As Fidel Castro says: a Better World is not only possible, it’s absolutely necessary.
Cuba shows how to achieve it.
