Cuba

Lessons from rural and urban agriculture

Given Quebec’s innovative approaches to urban and periurban agriculture, Leónides Castellanos González worked with Guy Debailleul to investigate technologies that could be adapted in Cuba. Apart from field visits to farms to study cultivation, sewage treatment and genetic improvement of crops, the project also explored the rooftop gardens characteristic of urban agriculture in Montreal. A visit to a farmers’ market in Montreal provided insights into made-in- Quebec branding, while further field trips and a symposium expanded awareness of agroforestry.

There was no single system of technological innovation and management that could be transplanted into a Cuban context. Indeed, Dr. Castellanos González gained an appreciation for the spirit of innovation among farmers that allows them to rise to the challenges of their particular circumstances.

In light of these results, the Cuban partner planned to revamp its courses on urban agriculture and put them online so that Quebec students could benefit from them. The two universities were also exploring further exchanges to enable Quebec students to learn more about rural agriculture in Cuba. In 2011, the two partners collaborated on a presentation at Agrosost 2011, an international workshop on sustainable agriculture held in the province of Cienfuegos.