We invite you to participate on a Global Exchange research delegation to study Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Gardens in Cuba.

In the early 1990's, Cuba's agricultural system and food supply were decimated by the tightening of the U.S. embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union (which had supplied the majority of Cuba's food imports (chemical fertilizers and pesticides, fuel for transportation, feed for farm animals, and almost 60% of Cuba's food. Cubans referred to these years as the "Special Period."

Due to the severe shortage of hard currency for the importation of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, Cuba was forced, in the early 1990's to begin to practice organic agriculture on a nationwide scale, with some very exciting results. There are currently tens of thousands of organic gardens in Havana alone and over a million across the country. In the late 1990's, the Cuban Association for Organic Agriculture was granted the International Right Livelihood Award (the Alternative Nobel Prize) for its efforts.

Organic agriculture continues to be supported and expanded at government and grassroots levels. Havana now grows over half its fresh food organically, and locally. Cuba hopes to be self sufficient in the production of many of its basic foods within the next decade.

University graduates in agronomy are handsomely rewarded for contributing their knowledge of research, technology and administration in both rural and urban agricultural settings. This entices educated young Cubans to return to the countryside by offering them stimulating and productive employment.

All Cuban young people are introduced to agriculture and food production as part of their education, spending at least one summer of their high school years, farming in the countryside.

Global Exchange and Food First co-organized the first U.S. delegation to Cuba focused on sustainable agriculture in 1993, then co-authored the seminal book on the subject, The Greening of Cuba and collaborated on an award winning video of the same title. Global Exchange organizes regular delegations of professors and practitioners of organic agriculture to Cuba, who have developed exchange programs through their universities and communities. These relationships are now proliferating, with scientists and farmers expanding their own joint projects between the U.S. and Cuba. It is only the U.S. embargo that interferes with the full development of these joint projects.

Program Highlights:

• * Scale Model of Havana
• * Meet with Cuban Architect/City Planner
• * City Tour/urban gardens/farmer's markets
• * Ministry of Agriculture
• * Tropical Agriculture Institute (INIFAT
• * Dairy and vegetable production farm
• * Local farmers and Community projects
• * Neighborhood organization, (CDR)
• * two nights in a province
• * "17 de Mayo" farm cooperative
• * Vermiculture project
• * Pastures and Forages Station
• * Cubasolar, Cuba's "Energy Revolution
• * Casa de Africa

Cost: $2550

Price Includes:

• RT flight Cancun/Havana/Cancun, three star hotel accommodations, breakfast daily, translation, transportation, and program fees.

How to Register:

This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. In some cases, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low income applicants.

We strongly recommend travel insurance for all international travel!

Make your reservation online now!

Contact Leslie with any questions about this trip, or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 ext. 242.