Cuba Field School: Agroecology in Cuba

Interdisciplinary Field School in Agroecology – Institutionalizing Agroecology in Cuba, Successes and Challenges

The three-week Cuba Field School in Agroecology was based out of the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences in San José de las Lajas, Cuba. It is open to students from all disciplinary backgrounds. This 0.5 credit course will be of particular interest to students interested in International Development, Crop Science, Environmental Studies, Environmental Governance, Organic Agriculture, and Rural & Agricultural Development.

Field School Details

Instructor: Dr. Erin Nelson (enelson@uoguelph.ca)

Offered: Summer 2016

Cuba Field School Course

The course will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the theory and practice of agroecology in Cuba. It will involve direct interaction and exchange with a wide range of actors, including Cuban producers (from cooperatives, state farms, and urban agriculture sites), researchers, extension experts, students, government officials, and NGO representatives. Themes that will be highlighted include:

  • Theoretical underpinnings and key practices of agroecology;
  • How agroecological food production can contribute to increasing social and ecological resilience, adapting to a changing climate, achieving food sovereignty, and improving livelihoods for small-scale farmers;
  • The historical development of Cuba’s agricultural sector prior to the Revolution;
  • Agrarian reforms in post-Revolutionary Cuba;
  • Impacts of the fall of the Soviet Bloc on Cuba’s economy and agricultural sector;
  • State policies supporting the development of agroecology in Cuba;
  • The role of non-state actors in developing agroecology in Cuba;
  • The structure of Cuba’s present day agri-food sector, and projections for the future;
  • Social, economic, and ecological benefits of agroecology;
  • Constraints on agroecological development, and the role of more conventional production methods; and
  • The relevance of the Cuban case for other regions in Latin America, for Canada, and for other parts of the world.

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