A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 5, 2003 Cuba: Sustainable Agriculture As National Defense? (Continued from Page A 1) For 18 months now, agricultur al specialists across the U.S. have vigorously debated the level of terrorism threat faced by our na tion’s farmers and food supply. At the recent annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), we heard from scientists who argued persuasively that the threat of accidental contami nation of food is as great, if not greater than the risk of intention al sabotage. Incidents occurring since Sep- Curbside farm stand in Havana belonging to a farmer named “America.” Design using an old railroad car shows necessary resourcefulness of Cuban farmers. Urban farmers produce over 350 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables within the city limits of Havana eaoh year. 3kiy file 3kd tkaim Skutdiny Matmah Grandrib TPLUS Distributors 0f... Equus Horse Stall Systems Equus Dutch Door Systems Plyco Sliding Door Components Fabral Metal Roofing and Siding Complete Building Packages, Trusses And Glue-Laminated Timbers 717-866-6581 761 E. Linden St. Richland, M 17087 i T , . fcjv, * r< ~ . <‘V" tember 11, 2001 involving wide spread distribution of contami nated food, here in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, have confirmed the correctness of this more com plex description of the problem. But the question remains, “What would happen in the United States if our food supply was suddenly interrupted, wheth er by accidental or intentional causes, requiring an extended pe riod of recovery?” Fortunately for us in this coun try, we have a very close neighbor that has faced such a situation, and from whom we might leam some important lessons. Over a two-week period bridg ing February and March of this year, I was fortunate to be a part of what has been called the “larg est ever fact-finding delegation destined for Cuba.” As a delega tion of three from Pennsylvania, I was joined by Penn State IPM specialist Lyn Carling and Tim Bowser, executive director of the Foodßoutes Network (Millheim), as part of a dynamic group of about 90 food and farming spe cialists from all over the United States, Latin America, and those living in the Caribbean on a study tour of Cuban agriculture. The trip was organized by the Oakland California based Food First/Institute for Food and De velopment Policy. Following the 1959 revolution in Cuba, the socialist regime that emerged was forced into a mostly exclusive trading relationship with the Soviet Union, in large part because of the U.S. trade embargo, which is now more than 40 years old. Cuba traded sugar, tobacco, nickel and other products for fuel, food and med icine, as well as the feedstuffs, chemicals, and equipment neces sary to maintain widespread con ventional agriculture throughout this island nation. This close trading partnership worked pretty well, helping Cuba to resist the U.S. embargo, or “blockade” as Cubans refer to it, for 30 years, until the sudden fall of the Soviet Union beginning in 1989. Almost overnight, Cuban j society lost access not only to The Best Metal Warranty 10 Layers W Protection >l^o% * > 25% - 50% h ■ - Coating* «jriftSfL. Jflk TB«**«JW»iN»rinrri active WMMfc 301-334-3977 1283 Joni Miller Rd. Oakland, MD 21550 A Cuban fruit farmer and his wife, who hosted a group from the delegation for a visit at their home. Everywhere it was clear how proud these folks are of what they had achieved and how glad they were to receive us. Departing comments were often mingled with tears. much of its food supply, but also to the conventional means of pro ducing their own food. Suddenly, there were no chemicals or fertil izers, no new tractors or spare parts to repair the old ones, and no veterinary medicines or feed concentrates to support their con centrated dairy, poultry, and pork production facilities. The situation for Cuban citi zens worsened when the U.S., sensing perhaps an opportunity to bring about a new capitalist counterrevolution, tightened the embargo with legislation in 1992 (Torricelli) and again in 1996 (Helms-Burton). And this legisla tive one-two punch might have achieved its intended result were it not for the ongoing revolution ary spirit of the Cuban people in the face of tremendous adversity. In fact, the seeds of agricultur al change were present through out the first 30 years following the Revolution. We were re minded on the trip that agrarian reform had always been a priori ty of the current regime. From the beginning, the socialist gov ' \ 4 i >W'\ 4-T* im Nutra-Flo® Pure Grade™ Liquid Plant Pood hasthehigheet nutrient usability available. When applied In-furrow, 2x2, foliar or in a transplant solution, you achieve greater fertilizer efficiency with lower rates ...resulting in greater profits. Will Not Rust Equipment... Low Rates per Acre Low Salt... Chloride-Free... Neutral pH 100% Available... Lower Costs, Higher Yields 10-10-10 5-15-15 9-18-9 Above Grades Include Micronutrient Package Ask about 0-0-30, 20-0-0-8 & RGS - the Root Growth Stimulator Buy Direct and SAVE! Jpt PARS, Inc. Elizabethtown, PA • 800-929-2676 CALL TODAY! Reduce your fertilizer bill when you buy direct from the distributor. Dealers wanted. Protected territories available. eminent had sought to guarantee' adequate food for every man, woman, and child in Cuba as a birthright. Furthermore, the desire had been to supply as much of this food as possible through produc tion using fewer chemicals on smaller farms or farm coopera tives located close to where peo ple actually live. This effort, re ferred to as “sustainable agriculture” long before any cri sis occurred, is defined in Cuba, much the same as in our own country, as a widespread network of carefully managed farms that are economically viable, environ mentally sound, and socially re sponsible. In response to the crisis of 1989 and afterwards the Cuban government instituted economic reforms as part of what they eu phemistically called the “Special Period in Peacetime.” The Spe cial Period, as it is more com monly known, includes incentives for farmers to profit directly from (Turn to Page A 23)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers