Development and sustainability of urban agriculture in Cuba.

摘要

This study analyses the main issues in the development of urban agriculture in developing countries, particularly Cuba. The Cuban experience shows that, in the presence of a well-structured plan based on appropriate technical extension and the direct involvement of the population, it is possible to achieve a considerable growth in the availability of food, mainly fresh vegetables, in urban areas. The Cuban experience also demonstrates the possibility of a radical change in the technological paradigm in urban agriculture. The fragile equilibrium that has up to now guaranteed the complex coexistence of agriculture with the urban system, from both an environmental and economical point of view, has in fact demanded the shift from a productive model based on the high use of external inputs to a more sustainable one based on the principles of organic production. This shift has also resulted in an important modification in the relationship between urban and rural areas, with a reduction of the food dependency of urban areas on rural areas..