Sowing Change

Adriana Premat

Description

Following the dissolution of the Soviet bloc, Cuba found itself struggling to find its place in a new geopolitical context, while dealing with an unprecedented agricultural and food crisis that experts feel foreshadows the future of many countries across the globe. Sowing Change traces the evolution of the officially endorsed urban agriculture movement in the capital city of Havana, considering its political significance for the Cuban government and its import for transnational actors in the field of sustainable development. But the analysis does not stop at official understandings and representations of this movement. Rather, it brings into focus the perspectives of small-scale urban farmers--real men and women who live at the conceptual margins of the Cuban economy and struggle to balance personal needs and dreams with political ideals and government expectations, in a context where those very ideals and expectations continually shift. Sowing Change is a timely reflection on the changing agricultural, urban, and power landscapes of post-Soviet Cuba that, finally, queries common presumptions about this socialist nation and its now famous urban agriculture experience.

Sujets

• Latin American Studies
• West Indies
• Histoire
• Index of urban studies articles
• Caribbean
• History

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 26 novembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780826518606
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

SOWING CHANGE

The Making of Havana’s Urban Agriculture

Adriana Premat

Sowîng Cange

Sowîng Cange

he Makîng o Havana’s Urban Agrîcuture

Adrîana Premat

Vanderbît Unîversîty Press Nasvîe

© 2012 by Vanderbît Unîversîty Press Nasvîe, Tennessee 37235 A rîgts reserved Fîrst prîntîng 2012

hîs book îs prînted on acîd-ree paper.

Manuactured în te Unîted States o Amerîca

îbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data on Ie C contro number 2012003435 C cassîIcatîon S477.C82 H38 2012 Dewey cass number 635.9/77

ïSBN 978-0-8265-1858-3 (cot)

ïSBN 978-0-8265-1859-0 (paperback)

ïSBN 978-0-8265-1860-6 (e-book)

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Contents

Preace Acknowedgments ïntroductîon:A New Goba Sense o Pace and Rooted Landscapes Sîtîng Socîaîst Spatîa Dreams: Instîtutîona Vîsîons and Revîsîons Urban Agrîcuture, Poîtîcs, and Unwanted Devîatîons Pace-Bound:Becomîng an Urban Farmer în Havana Caîmîng Space, Questîonîng te Order o hîngs State and, Green Agendas, Od ïdeas, and Communîty Work Prîvate Pots, Needed Doars, State Power, and Sustaînabîîty Modes Goba Networks and Cuban Urban Agrîcuture Concusîon Notes Reerences ïndex

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Preace

ï Irst vîsîted Cuba în 1994, at te peak o te economîc crîsîs tat o- owed te breakup o te Sovîet boc. hen, ï was a curîous traveer înterested în seeîng Irstand te socîaîst natîon ï ad eard so muc about as ï was growîng up în Argentîna. As ît turned out, partîcuary în te eary 1990s, Cuba was not te pace ï ad îmagîned. he capîta, Havana, was a cîty în ruîns: buîdîngs were aîng apart, pubîc transpor- tatîon was amost nonexîstent, and ood was a scarce commodîty. Yet, amîd te despaîr and dîsappoîntment, tere were gîmmers o ope în te possîbîîty o new projects tat promîsed at east a temporary way out o te crîsîs. Among tem were oicîa coaboratîons between Cuban înstîtutîons and soîdarîty groups în oter countrîes, wîc acîî- tated te eforts o îndîvîdua Cubans wo were aready appyîng teîr îngenuîty to ep te country, and temseves, escape te worst efects o te crîsîs. One area tat receîved specîa prîorîty în cîtîes was ouseod se-provîsîonîng troug te cutîvatîon o vegetabe gardens or te raîs- îng o anîmas, rom cîckens to goats, or ood.  Durîng tat Irst vîsît to Cuba, ï ad opportunîty to wîtness Irstand many înstances o suc se-provîsîonîng, but tere was one case tat proved memorabe or me. hîs învoved te New Year’s Eve saugter- îng o a pîg on te bacony o te nînt Loor o te îgest skyscraper în Havana. he pîg ad been secrety brougt tere monts prîor to ensure te avaîabîîty o pork or a tradîtîona New Year’s east. he presence o pîgs în downtown Havana, wîe tecnîcay îega, was so common ten tat Fîde Castro îmse ad to decare an amnesty on keepîng pîgs în te cîty. Atoug tere were oter, ess controversîa expressîons o prîmary ood productîon în te cîty at te tîme, ît was te memory o

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Sowîng Cange

tîs pîg tat spurred me to return to Cuba în 1997 to begîn my now more tan decade-ong etnograpîc înquîry înto urban agrîcuture în Havana. ïn addîtîon to trîggerîng my înterest în prîmary ood produc- tîon în te cîty, te paradoxîca îmage o a pîg în a modern skyscraper stî resonates wît me as embematîc o te apparent contradîctîons contaîned în te revoutîonary government’s new poîcîes and programs sînce te eary 1990s. Here was a pîg resîdîng în a îg-rîse buîdîng tat ad been a testament to Cuba’s modern aspîratîons în prerevou- tîonary tîmes and tat now, many decades ater, sowcased on îts ground eve one o te Irst state stores în Havana were Cubans coud purcase ood în U.S. doars—te same doars tat a sort tîme earîer ad been strîcty banned în te country. Here was a pîg screamîng or îts îe în te eart o one o te better-of neîgboroods o te capîta în a coun- try tat not ong beore ad taken great prîde în îts îg-tec, scîentîIc approac to agrîcutura productîon. Wîtîn a sort tîme, te squeaîng was over, and a ew ours ater we were savorîng resy madecîca- rrones(pork crackîngs) to wecome te New Year. ï was not sure at te tîme wat exacty we were ceebratîng on tat annîversary o te 1959 revoutîon: our ost dîd not make any poîtîca pronouncements and îmîted îmse to commentîng on te Ine quaîty o tecîcarrones.  he 1990s were years o dîsorîentîng cange or many Cubans. As ong-standîng state weare servîces—încudîng ood ratîons—were severey curtaîed across te country and as te peso ost îts vaue, over- sadowed by a now reey cîrcuatîng U.S. doar, te squeaîng o pîgs, te crowîng o roosters, and te beatîng o goats, a raîsed to ensure ouseod ood provîsîons, became încreasîngy common across Cuban cîtîes. Addîng to te dîsorîentîng efects tat te sounds and smes o tese anîmas provoked în many a cîty dweer, în paces îke Havana tourîsm seemed to be returnîng Cuba to îts înamous prerevoutîonary past as ecerous oreîgn men pubîcy Launted teîr newound întîmacy wît muc-too-young Cuban women. Furter compîcatîng te sîtua- tîon, Cubans wo ad gone înto exîe years prîor, oicîay dîsmîssed as unwantedgusanos(parasîtes) by te government, were now returnîng as wecomed vîsîtors. aden wît doars and needed goods or teîr amî- îes at a tîme o great scarcîty, tese gusanoswere rebaptîzed în Cuban

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Preace

popuar parance asmarîposas(butterLîes)—a term îgîgtîng teîr desîrabe metamorposîs. ïn a country were or decades capîtaîsm ad been demonîzed, oreîgn capîtaîsts were now pubîcy învîted to joîn te state în proIt-seekîng ventures. Atoug Cuban cîtîzens were repeat- edy tod tat tese canges were made to “save socîaîsm,” perpexîty and outrîgt cynîcîsm appeared to reîgn among te popuatîon. Under- standaby, agaînst te backdrop o cange, many Cubans et tat te conceptua boundarîes between cîty and countrysîde, modern and “pre- modern,” pre- and post-1959 Cuba, socîaîsm and capîtaîsm, te word wîtîn and te word wîtout were comîng undone. Weter înter- preted as a sîgn o te îmmînent downa o Cuban socîaîsm or as te possîbîîty o îts eaty rebîrt, tese and oter crîsîs-reated canges ave spawned a îvey academîc debate about te uture o Cuba. Some o tese canges, partîcuary tose connected wît urban agrîcuture, ave aso receîved consîderabe înternatîona attentîon or teîr reevance beyond te Cuban context. ïn a word were questîons o urban and agrîcutura sustaînabîîty ave gaîned încreasîng cur- rency, Cuba’s urban agrîcuture experîments, caracterîzed by a drastî- cay reduced reîance on petroeum, a sît toward organîc ertîîzers and bîoogîca pest contros, and sorter dîstances rom Ied to tabe, ave captured te îmagînatîon o tose concerned about te rapîdy depet- îng goba suppîes o petroeum, te ecoogîca ootprînt o cîtîes, and te detrîmenta eat and envîronmenta efects o îndustrîaîzed agrî- cuture. For many concerned goba cîtîzens, Cuba’s recent agrîcutura caenges oresadow te possîbe uture o even te most deveoped countrîes în te word, odîng împortant essons or a.  hîs book engages tose înterested în Cuba’s poîtîca uture, as we as tose wo wîs to understand te motîves, opes, and strugges o Cubans engaged în urban agrîcuture today, by provîdîng a unîque per- spectîve on tese topîcs tat îs grounded în pace and în te process o pace makîng. SpecîIcay, te book consîders te paces were pîgs, îke te one ï saw în 1994, contînue to be raîsed, aongsîde rabbîts, cîckens, and guînea pîgs; paces were pantaîns, avocados, cassava, and peppers are grown în sma gardens tended by a mosty agîng popuatîon wo, wîe contrîbutîng to te înternatîona ame o Cuba’s urban agrîcuture

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