Goats. Then emus. And then ostriches. (HAVANA)

I've had an obsession with Latin culture ever since traveling a bit of South America two years ago.  That and escaping portions of the Canadian winter (though it's January 29th and hasn't really arrived yet to Hamilton...?) to go to warm places where there is good music, a different language, cheap food and beer, and a lively growing season.   I spent a bit of time in Cuba this month where I was able to experience all of that, though perhaps the most interesting thing I experienced was a Cuban approach to issues of food security.

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There are 87,000 acres of land used for growing food in the city of Havana.  90% of all fruits and vegetables consumed in Havana are grown in Havana.  

Cuba's imports almost completely disappeared after the fall of the Soviet Union and the tightening of the US Trade Embargo in the early 1990s.  The country was forced to become as self-sufficient as possible in as little time as possible.  This period of time in the 1990s is known to Cubans as the Special Period.

While in Cuba, I was able to see a decent portion of the country.  I spent my time volunteering on a couple of urban farms (called Organoponicos) and talking with locals about the Special Period, Cuban food security, and the future of Cuba.

Imported food by % (1989)

Cereals:                            79%

Beans:                               90%

Rice:                                 50%

Total calories in diet:        57%

Change in imports by %

(1989 - 1992)

Petroleum:                      -53%

Fertilizer:                        -77%

Pesticides:                        -63%

Animal feed:                    -70%

The State had created the Organoponico system in the early 1990s as a way to combat the huge decrease of food imported from the Soviet Union.  Today, there are more than 7,000 Organoponicos in Cuba.  Many of them are found in cities.  They are cooperative in structure and local in distribution.  Everything grown is also organic.

The drastic decrease of imported petroleum, pesticides and chemical fertilizers during the early 1990s has lead to local innovation.  The ideas and structure associated with the Organoponico system are not seen on a national level in many other countries. Many Organoponicos in Cuba produce their own organic fertilizers.  Larger Organoponicos also produce their own humus as soil quality in urban environments is poor.  Oxen are used to till soil rather than tractors, eliminating the need for petroleum and decreasing the amount of soil that would be eroded by the use of tractors.
Although the Organoponico system in Cuba is extremely efficient and is a good model of a local food system - which as North Americans we could learn from -  food security in Cuba remains a huge issue 20 years after the Special Period.  While I was there, it was obvious that food security is very poor.  (*Note that if you have ever heard friends or family return from an All-Inclusive resort in Cuba to say that "the beach was nice but the food was terrible", this is why)

Since the imports of animal feed (or wheat, corn or cereals to produce animal feed) almost disappeared 20 years ago, there are very few cows in Cuba.  Buying beef in Cuba is either impossible or very expensive.  Pigs are more able to digest compost or household organic waste and so most meat you will find in Cuba is either ham or sausage.

Likewise, the fruits and vegetables that are available in Havana are almost entirely grown in the city, and therefore only certain crops are available at any given time of year.  Although it is possible to grow year-round in Cuba, the cooler, drier weather from October - March is better for growing most vegetables:  The plants don't get waterlogged (as they can in the summer) and it is easier to grow varieties of lettuce in 25 degrees Celsius rather than 35.  As a result, there are often shortages of fruits and vegetables during summer.

This is one reason why it has taken a long time for average daily protein levels and caloric intake levels to match those of the Soviet era.  In 1992, average daily protein and caloric intakes were 35% - 40% lower than 1989 levels.

After spending time on these farms and witnessing what food is and is not available in Cuba I concluded that North American's have a lot to learn from.  The organic methods (organic fertilizer, humus production) and social infrastructure (distribution networks, stakeholders) used by the Organoponicos did not spring up overnight.  With the drastic decrease in imports to Cuba and an economic situation (which, generally, mimics what peak oil may look like to North Americans) Cuba is well on a path toward a sustainable food system.

Canada and the US cannot say the same.  By the time the cost of oil increases drastically and therefore everything that we depend on as imports (keeping in mind the average Canadian meal travels 2500 km before arriving on our dinner plate) either disappear from store shelves or triple in price, how prepared will we be?

When I arrived back home to Hamilton the other day my Mom told me all about the new buzz at City Hall.  I'd consider her and my Step-Dad to be fairly politically engaged in Hamilton and so they usually have some pretty interesting things to say about municipal politics.  City Council is now reviewing the prospects of making it legal for people in the city to have chicken coops in their backyards.   Though it is a good move (and some Councillor's are for while some are against [see below]), we have a long way to go.  Bring on the birds.

“I tell you what is going to come next: goats. Then emus. And then ostriches” 
- Councillor Scott Duvall

Going to Cuba to learn from the experts

Tomorrow I leave for Cuba and will be there for a month!  Any city that can supply 90% of its food from land found within city limits is an intelligent city.  I hope to spend much of my time in Havana learning from the experts.

Enjoy the dead of winter, Canada.