In Cuba, urban farming has come a long way since the early days of the 1990s when the fall of the Soviet Union left the country with no access to essential agricultural imports such as pesticides and fertilizers. In response to this crisis, Cuban farmers have pioneered an innovative approach to agriculture — producing around 1.5 million tonnes of vegetables each year without using any pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
The success of this organic farming revolution is due in no small part to the efforts of Cuba’s 4,000 urban farms. These farms are scattered throughout cities and towns across Cuba, offering an important source of fresh produce for both individuals and businesses alike. Through utilizing natural resources like composting and crop rotation, these farms have been able to grow a variety of healthy vegetables with minimal impact on the environment.
In addition, Cuba’s urban farms have become popular tourist attractions in their own right. Visitors from near and far can witness first-hand the ingenuity and hard work that goes into creating these sustainable food systems. Those interested in learning more about this remarkable story should watch the documentary “Farms Without Pesticides: Urban Farming in Cuba” produced by renowned filmmaker José Díaz-Márquez. An exploration into how urban farming is transforming Cuba, it provides viewers with powerful insights into how this issue continues to shape not only Cuba but also other parts of Latin America and beyond.
Urban farming is not only providing Cubans with an important source of healthy food; it is also helping to bolster economic growth and social stability in the country as a whole. This makes it all the more impressive that Cuban farmers have managed to make such great strides given their limited access to resources and financial support from abroad. With many countries now looking for ways to tackle climate change and improve nutrition standards, there are valuable lessons we can learn from what’s happening in Cuba today – making this documentary well worth checking out!
