Survival in the Special Period: Urban Organic Agriculture in Cuba

JOHN KYLE PAISLEY

NOV. 19th, 2010

Garden in Havana, Cuba

With the collapse of the Soviet Bloc and its economic support in 1989 as well as the tightening up of the US economic embargo, Cuba plunged into an economic crisis called the special period. In short order, the country lost approximately 80% of its imports, 80% of its exports and its Gross Domestic Product dropped by 34 percent. The early stages of the Special Period were defined by a general breakdown in transportation and agricultural sectors, fuel, fertilizer and pesticide stocks and widespread food shortages. For a time, waiting for a bus could take three hours, power outages could last up to sixteen hours, food consumption was cut back to one-fifth of their previous levels and the average Cuban lost about nine kilograms (twenty pounds). Nutrition fell from 3,052 calories per day in 1989 to 2,099 calories per day in 1993. Other reports indicate even lower figures, 1,863 calories, well below the recommended minimum of 2,100–2,300 calories. Fidel Castro stated in 1991: "The food question has the number one priority.”

(Organic agriculture) made its appearance as a necessity and that necessity helped us to advance, to consolidate and expand more or less uniformly…”

Adolfo Rodriguez. Cuba’s top urban agrarian

Organoponicos, Havana, Cuba

Urban Agriculture
            The effects of the Special Period and consequent food shortages had greatest repercussions in the city of Havana. In addition to the decline in food production needed to serve the capital, there was also a shortage of petroleum necessary to transport, refrigerate, and store food available from the rural agricultural sector. Urban organic agriculture evolved as a means to cope with the increasing shortages and a need for survival.
            While Havana's urban agriculturehas taken on many forms, ranging from private gardens (huertos privados) to state-owned research gardens (organicponicos), Havana's popular gardens (huertos populares) are the most widespread and accessible to the general public. Popular gardens are small parcels of state-owned land that are cultivated by individuals or community groups in response to ongoing food shortages and range in size from a few square meters to three hectares.

Additional Benefits of Urban Agriculture

Plants have the ability to reduce the overall heat absorption of the building which then reduces energy consumption. Plant surfaces, as a result of transpiration, do not rise more than 4–5 °C above the ambient and are sometimes cooler." (Ong, B. (2003). Green plot ratio: an ecological measure for architecture and urban planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 63 (4). Retrieved November 19, 2010, from ScienceDirect database.)

It was calculated that "the temperature in Tokyo could be lowered by 0.11–0.84 °C if 50% of all available rooftop space were planted with greenery. This would lead to a savings of approximately 100 million yen per day in the city's electricity bill. ( Yuen, B, & Wong, N. (2005). Resident perceptions and expectations of rooftop gardens in Singapore. Landscape and Urban Planning, 73 (4). Retrieved November 19, 2020, from ScienceDirect database.)

In addition to providing resistance to thermal radiation, rooftop gardens prove beneficial in reducing rain water run off and potential flooding; relief from the generally impermeable surfaces within an urban context.

Outcome

As a result of the response to The Special Period, 80 percent of the vegetables and herbs grown on the island today are organic. In addition, the urban gardens they are grown in are generally within walking distance of those who will consume them. Through the response of both individuals and the government, Cuba reduced both the use of fossil fuels in the production and transportation of food, while producing additional benefits for the nation. As described in the video clip from Community Solutions, these innovative solutions will become increasingly more relevant as we respond to the impending needs of a post-peak oil world. 

Sources

Ong, B. (2003). Green plot ratio: an ecological measure for architecture and urban planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 63 (4). Retrieved November 19, 2010, from ScienceDirect database.

Yuen, B, & Wong, N. (2005). Resident perceptions and expectations of rooftop gardens in Singapore. Landscape and Urban Planning, 73 (4). Retrieved November 19, 2020, from ScienceDirect database.