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Institutionalizing agroecology: successes and challenges in Cuba

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  • Erin Nelson
  • Steffanie Scott
  • Judie Cukier
  • Ángel Galán

Abstract

Over the past two decades, Cuba has become a recognized global leader in sustainable agriculture. This paper explores how this process of agricultural transition has taken place, and argues that it has largely been led by research institutes, non-state organizations and the Cuban government, which have all contributed to the institutionalization of agroecology in both policy and practice. This process has been highly effective in terms of the numbers of people using agroecological techniques. However, although these techniques have been widely adopted by farmers across the country, this paper suggests that many still perceive maximizing production to be a higher priority than maintaining a commitment to agroecological ideals. For these farmers, agroecological farming is viewed primarily as a pragmatic decision rather than an ideological or moral one, and they may thus be susceptible to shifting back to conventional production if this option became politically and economically feasible Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Suggested Citation

  • Erin Nelson & Steffanie Scott & Judie Cukier & Ángel Galán, 2009. "Institutionalizing agroecology: successes and challenges in Cuba," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 26(3), pages 233-243, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:26:y:2009:i:3:p:233-243
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-008-9156-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John Fairweather, 1999. "Understanding how farmers choose between organic and conventional production: Results from New Zealand and policy implications," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 16(1), pages 51-63, March.
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    4. Miguel Altieri & Nelso Companioni & Kristina Cañizares & Catherine Murphy & Peter Rosset & Martin Bourque & Clara Nicholls, 1999. "The greening of the “barrios”: Urban agriculture for food security in Cuba," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 16(2), pages 131-140, June.
    5. David Goodman, 2000. "Organic and conventional agriculture: Materializing discourse and agro-ecological managerialism," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 17(3), pages 215-219, September.
    6. Timothy Vos, 2000. "Visions of the middle landscape: Organic farming and the politics of nature," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 17(3), pages 245-256, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Victoria Constanza Ramenzoni & Vanessa Vázquez Sánchez & Diana Valdés Massó & Armando Rangel Rivero & Daily Yanetsy Borroto Escuela & Daniel J. Hoffman, 2023. "When the Sugar Runs Out: Transitioning Agricultural Systems and Their Effect on Dietary Diversity in Yaguajay, Central Cuba," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Marney E. Isaac & S. Ryan Isakson & Bryan Dale & Charles Z. Levkoe & Sarah K. Hargreaves & V. Ernesto Méndez & Hannah Wittman & Colleen Hammelman & Jennifer C. Langill & Adam R. Martin & Erin Nelson &, 2018. "Agroecology in Canada: Towards an Integration of Agroecological Practice, Movement, and Science," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Górna Ada & Górny Krzysztof, 2020. "Urban agriculture in Havana – evidence from empirical research," Miscellanea Geographica. Regional Studies on Development, Sciendo, vol. 24(2), pages 85-93, April.
    4. Gustav Cederlöf, 2016. "Low-carbon food supply: the ecological geography of Cuban urban agriculture and agroecological theory," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(4), pages 771-784, December.

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