Chapter 6 - Cuba's agroecological revolution: implication for widespread adoption

Abstract

This chapter examines the shift in Cuba's agricultural sector following the collapse of the Soviet Union, from one based in industrial monoculture toward diversified agroecology with an emphasis on self-provisioning via urban agricultural production. It critically analyzes the flaws of industrialized agriculture framed within the context of the climate crisis and presents agroecology as a resilient alternative. It then looks at Cuban agriculture and highlights the changes that occurred following the fall of the Soviet Union. These include a restructuring of national agricultural education, an expansion of agricultural collectives, and the widespread practice of urban agriculture. This chapter concludes that the combination of a process of decentralization, collaboration between governmental and nongovernmental institutions, and the implementation of an extensive peer-to-peer education system were the key factors facilitating Cuba's recovery from agricultural and economic crisis—and highlights them as potential strategies for transitioning toward agroecology elsewhere in the world.