• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • e-Catalog
  • Gift Catalog
  • Donate
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships:
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy (Sicily)
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs:
      • Aguadilla – Puerto Rico
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Española – New Mexico
      • Rio Grande Valley – Texas
  • Projects
    • Community Work Projects
      • Delivering Essential Services
      • Teaching Conversational English
      • Supporting Community Development
      • Supplementing School-Based Curricula
      • View All Community Work Projects
  • Dates & Fees
    • Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Monthly
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
      • All Service Program Dates
  • Give
    • Giving Options:
      • Donate Now
      • Changemakers Club
      • Gift Catalog
      • Ways to Give
      • Philanthropy
  • Impact
  • News
  • Request Information
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
News and Updates, Reaching Children's Potential Cuba

Farming in Cuba

Global Volunteers assists local farmers in our partner community of Ciego de Avila.  On our inaugural service program in May, 2015, volunteers worked alongside paid community laborers on weeding and harvesting produce at “Garden Number 2.”  (Read “Being a Farmer In Cuba” on one volunteer’s blog.)  The vegetables are provided to childcare centers and sold to community members at substantially below market costs. On upcoming programs, volunteers will also assist in other areas of the volunteer’s expertise,  such as plant disease prevention, using improved seeds,  and the like.

work with Cuban farmersThe Director of Gardens for the 22 municipalities in this province is Julio, and he visits each garden every week.  Every seven farms has a representative to the cooperative.   Each farmer decides what s/he will plant – for example, onions, cucumbers and carrots – and is paid a salary.   At monthly meetings, and again at the end of the year, they tally each farmer’s production, and are paid as a group an amount based on output.  The group decides how to divide the amount among the seven growers, and seven support staff – store person, bookkeeper, night watchman etc.

A bit of history:  After the Revolution, the new Cuban government adopted land reforms based on the Soviet philosophy that large, heavily mechanized State farms would increase efficiency and thereby elevate the dignity of human labor. But socialized farming ultimately reduced production and drove many rural families to urban areas – where educational and employment opportunities  promised new futures. This lured the next generation out of the agricultural sector and rural areas entirely – further increasing the dependency on mechanized agricultural production. The U.S. embargo has made it far more expensive for Cuba to achieve high production in food and agricultural exports.

experience Cuba as a volunteer

Volunteers help week a cooperative garden in Ciego de Avila.

Meanwhile, the Cuban government has embraced biodiversity in modern farming – steering the national agricultural practice away from dependency upon unsustainable elements such as expensive technology and imported chemicals. Cuba is now one of the world leaders in bio-fertilizers, with high production of organic food. This has breathed new life into rural communities and help stem rural migration to urban areas. Cuban farmers and researchers are combining traditional and alternative technologies in food production as they hope to reach their ultimate goal of total sustainability.

(Excerpted from reports by Global Volunteers CEO Bud Philbrook and Cuba Team Leader Pam Cromer.)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket
May 20, 2015/by Michele Gran
Tags: Cuba people-to-people
0 0 Michele Gran https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Michele Gran2015-05-20 20:28:452016-05-27 18:20:00Farming in Cuba
You might also like
Cuban carWhat ‘Life In The New Cuba’ Is Really Like
Christmas in CubaChristmas in Cuba With Global Volunteers
Couple Volunteering in Cuba Deepens Their Commitment to Service
touring HavanaVolunteering and People-to-People Activities in Cuba
Internet access in CubaFeel at Home in Cuba
Internet access in CubaNew Opportunities for Americans in Cuba!
Internet access in CubaThe Culture of Cuba
Internet access in CubaLandmark Cuba Volunteer Program Begins!
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Partner Communities

  • China (62)
  • Cook Islands (44)
  • Cuba (112)
  • Ecuador (89)
  • Greece (70)
  • Italy (52)
  • Montana (50)
  • Nepal (19)
  • New Mexico (2)
  • Peru (110)
  • Poland (97)
  • Portugal (44)
  • Puerto Rico (2)
  • South Dakota (8)
  • St Lucia (56)
  • Tanzania (230)
  • Texas (5)
  • Vietnam (33)

Categories

  • Classroom Assistance (7)
  • Conversational English (93)
  • Cultures and Traditions (136)
  • Development Impact (121)
  • Family Volunteering (61)
  • Free Time Options (79)
  • Group Volunteering (19)
  • News and Updates (146)
  • Partners' Stories (16)
  • Projects for Professionals (23)
  • Reaching Children's Potential (236)
  • Ripple Effect (7)
  • Service-Learning (49)
  • Staff Worldwide (25)
  • Volunteer Voices (683)
  • Why I Give (18)

Tags

American Indian culture Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English Cuba people-to-people development impact Earthbox gardens Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee gender equality Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects retiree volunteers Spring break student volunteer summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader things to do peru top places to visit peru tourism cook islands tours peru travel peru volunteer benefits Volunteer impact volunteer time off work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering

Get Global Volunteers News Here!

Enter your email address to receive fresh new posts in your inbox.

  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • Covid-19 Policy
  • News/Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org
Federal EIN: 36-3352680

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST!

Subscribe to receive updates, new blog posts, and inspiring stories from our work around the world.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. Our tax ID is 36-3352680. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent provided by the law.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Wednesday – We Are Blessed!Helping as Many Students as We Can
Scroll to top