Esther Roycroft-Boswell

In: UA Magazine 6 - Transition to Ecological Urban Agriculture: A Challenge

This shortened version of an earlier published version describes the historic background of why organic and urban agriculture were seen as important by the Cuban Government. Large tracts of land were switched from export-oriented cash crops to food crops. Government incentives encouraged unemployed people in large urban centres to move back to work on the land. This created, almost overnight, a new urban gardening culture. Organic agriculture was specifically promoted by the Cuban Organic Agriculture Organisation, which linked government researchers and extension workers.