Cuba – Urban Gardens/Farming Series

December 8, 2016

Cubans were forced to abandon “modern” farming practices after the collapse of the Soviet Union almost eliminated oil, petrochemical and food imports.

Without access to fuel for heavy machinery or chemical fertilizers & pesticides, Cubans developed sustainable oranoponicos (urban gardens) and huertos intensivos (intensive orchards).  These rely on manual labor and yield mostly organic food, which is consumed within a few kilometers of its source.

From necessity, Cuba devised a system of chemical-free, locally sourced community gardens decades before organic, farm-to-table became a buzz-worthy trend among foodies in the US.