Dhr. F.R. (Fernando) Funes-Monzote: “Farming like we’re here to stay. The mixed farming alternative for Cuba”

  News
  Newsroom
  Dossiers
  Archive
  Calendar
  2012
  2011
  2010
  2009
  2008
  2007
  2006
  2005
  2004
  2003
  2002
  2001
  2000
  1999
  News
  RSS
  Calendar
  Open days
  Courses
  Congresses and symposia
  PhD-graduations and speeches

14 Oct 2008 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. H. van Keulen
Co Promotor: Dr.ir. E.A. Lantinga

 Cuba’s national scale transition from an intensive high-external input agricultural sector to a low-external input production model, following the collapse of the Eastern European communist block in 1990, served as a starting point for development of small-scale, highly diversified agricultural production systems. These, mostly private, mixed crop-livestock enterprises were aiming at food self-sufficiency, with strong emphasis on internal (re-)cycling and resource conservation. In this thesis it is shown that these systems allow sustainable intensification at farm level, resulting in favourable resource use efficiencies in both crop and animal production, attainment of household food self-sufficiency as well as production of marketable surpluses that contribute to household income. However, as a result of the prevailing socio-economic environment, they currently occupy only a limited part of Cuba’s available agricultural land area, whilst the country imports more than half of its food requirements. It is argued that from agro-technical and environmental points of view, mixed crop-livestock systems represent very promising land use systems and that widespread implementation could make Cuba self-sufficient in food. Recently formulated agricultural policies address issues such as distribution of underexploited agricultural land areas in usufruct, dismantling of inefficient State enterprises and decentralized decision-making. Implementation of these policies might create the desired conditions for stimulating expansion of the small-scale mixed farming sector, though it remains to be seen whether this is sufficient or additional measures are required.
Print this activity