Cubans Use Much Less Energy to Produce a Much Higher Organic Food Yield
by Trevor Reichman 
on 01.11.09
Image Via: The Power Of Community
While there are many factors when it comes to determining what contributes to human health and longevity, there is no debating that access to good quality food is a key ingredient. What is fascinating is that there is no clear evidence that human health and longevity is improved, or even that more people have access to food, when an abundance of fossil fuel energy is available.
When Cuba hit peak oil in the early 90s due to sanctions and other factors, the country made drastic internal changes that have paid off in terms of health for the land and its people. The way that Cuba survived peak oil can serve as a positive working model for countries who are still highly dependent on oil, especially when it comes to food production.
Image Via: The Power Of Community
When Cuba's oil supply came to a halt, they immediately changed course by turning any and all available city plots into intensive urban farms.
50% of Cuba's agriculture now comes from urban farms. In the smaller towns, they produce 80 to 100% of the vegetables they need, eliminating the need to transport food long distances. The move back to a human and animal powered harvest, instead of heavy machinery, quickly created 140,000 new jobs in a country with a population 30 times smaller than the USA. In order to produce food without the use of fossil fuels, It was a matter of reclaiming land from the large scale industrial agricultural corporations. According to the documentary, The Power of Community, 80% of Cuba's agricultural production is now organic!
Since most oil used in the USA is related to food production, Cuba's agricultural model is an important one to investigate.
Image Via: The Power Of Community
Further Reading:
Cuba Relies on Urban Gardens to Feed Hungry Populace
Cuba's Organic Revolution
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I've been to Cuba several times to visit my in-laws, and I would hesitate to describe the place as healthy. Air pollution is significant due to wood and charcoal cooking fires, old diesel trucks and buses, and who knows what else. Water pollution is even more of a problem. I've talked with farmers and an economist that have said that the changeover to small agriculture has not been free of politics. The Ministry of Sugar had been a powerful group and has not wanted to give up it's canefields to the Ministry of Agriculture without a fight.
Urban farms do produce significant amounts of vegetables, but I doubt that they are truly as productive as they could be because Cubans do not generally have ready access to the most up-to-date organic methods available on the internet, or even in most libraries here. Politics again.
Most importantly, many people are afraid to innovate because the regulations are not easily available and their are stories about successful entrepreneurs that have run afoul of archaic or unpublished rules for private businesses. "That's not allowed" is a common phrase I hear when talking to residents and exiles. I don't think that they would refuse to go back to industrial production if given the opportunity, either.
I would personally love to see organic hydroponic farms put adjacent to existing grocery distribution warehouses to immediately reduce shipping costs in this country, but Cuba wouldn't be my model to sell the idea to the general public.
Oh, Puh-LEEZE. Have ANY of you BEEN to Cuba? I have, twice.
I'm admittdly not so talented with posting, so I'll try to imbed this photo taken there. If I can't figure it out, I'll describe what I saw...
There are subsistance farms, we saw OX CARTS, with ANCIENT technology (actual home-made, wooden wheels, rough-hewn), towing produce along the MAIN HIGHWAY.
There are grass shacks. Huts, with no plumbing, electricity, etc. And these are HOMES.
To you people that wax poetically, romantically longing for a return to our simpler, agrarian life, I say, "GO ahead, MOVE there. It's there for your enjoyment. IMMERSE your spoiled, comfortable selves in what COMMUNISM affords. The Privations, the suffering. Oh sure, you'll all say, 'but they are such HAPPY natives'. Get a grip! If you fawn over that crap, it's there for your taking. Schitt or git offa the Pot!"
Well, that's not very kind of you, Chris. You were starting to sound like the sterotypical angry redneck with your last sentence...
1) What's wrong with ox carts and ancient technology? Especially if it's still working out today?
2) While I don't doubt that there are grass shacks, I do doubt that everyone lives in a grass shack, like you are trying to imply.
3) I am neither old enough, nor do I have the money, to move to Cuba. You're welcome to push legislation that allows minors to legally run off to another country, and pay my way, but I don't think you'd be very fond of that idea.
4) What's wrong with Communism? (Aside from the fact that Cuba is NOT, in fact, truely Communist.)
Hooray for ox carts and grass shacks! It's probably cheaper too.
I have been to Cuba and as in any other country on earth there is plenty to be admired and feel repelled about.
The type of resourcefullness and reliance they in fact have while managing for their food supplies (they still have to import most of it like many other more economically developed countries) would have a better meaning if it came from choice, not violent necessity.
I admired the rooftop gardens but felt a twist in my stomach when I realised they meant life or death.
I believe it is possible to have a simple, fulfilling and environmentally sound life if one chooses so but what is the meaning of it if society allows you to starve, be without land and without freedom?
I agree with Nom de Guerre. Also, I stand by my statement. I tire of hearing naive little kiddies spout rhetoric they know nothing about (usually while wearing their Che t-shirts, on their thousand-dollar laptops--what horseschitt!)
anyone that thinks it's so damn romantic, I'll give you my travel agents info, she'll send you their via Nassau. Go ahead. I dare you.
I was there (from UK) with family 2 years ago.
What we oil-feeders need to consider is how OUR lives will be when we use 1/10th the oil. That means 1/10 the food unless we change our mech agriculture to something else... think it through.
Personally I always try to grow a proportion of my food so I have an idea of reality - self reliance.
Cuba has some shocks (the city building that must be in demolition - no it's full of families living life and bringing water up in rope & bucket). I walk backstreets of Havana and do not sit in tourist enclave.
But I felt safe & people were.. people, up & down as we all are.
Will we be able to transition to lower levels of resource without resource wars and other evils? How will we share wealth and decide what we do have energy for?