The development of environmentally friendly, economically viable and socially just agricultural production is indeed possible. The project “Articulación Agroecológica” has demonstrated this in five municipalities in Cuba.

This initiative, supported by the European Union, Hivos, Cosude and the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba, started in 2011 with the aim of providing farmers alternatives to traditional monoculture practices. The idea was to open the way for diversification of their agricultural production, which in turn would guarantee food security for the country.

Las Tunas, Camagüey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos and Bejucal are the municipalities where the project has been developed, providing Cuban farmers with technological resources and agro-ecological methods.

The June 2015 digital edition of Cuba’s Granma newspaper highlighted the project’s results in the town of Primero de Enero, where mango production was the only option for producers. Today, thanks to the support of the “Articulación Agroecológica” proyect, the farmers of Primero de Enero have new options, such the production of guava and pineapple. They are also interspersing different crops maintaining fruit nurseries and breeding sheep.

As part of its Green Society programme, Hivos will continue to support this initiative that empowers urban communities to play an active role in ensuring their own food security.

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