Monday, August 07, 2006

Cuba - The Latest Revolution!

Cuba, a country to emulate? Yes, at one time for much of its success in educating its population and providing medical care. But that was twenty, thirty years ago you say. And since then it has become a basket case with the withdrawal of Soviet assistance. True, Cuba used to rely on false Eastern Bloc prices for its sugar and cheap subsidized imports of oil and machinery. The collapse of the communist bloc brought on an economic crisis that endangered its ability to feed itself. But to-day the world is turning with admiration again to Cuba as it implements highly sustainable agricultural practices. The Cuban government is providing urban brownfields for use as market gardens with wide varieties of fruits and vegetables grown. Employment and profits are mushrooming you might say. Very little fossil fuel or machinery or synthetic fertilizer is required for the labour intensive but scientific practices it is applying. Necessity is the mother of invention and this is one place to watch as it forges ahead.
Source: CBC The Nature of Things. Cuba: The Accidental Revolution