Cultural Presentation, By: Whitney Houser, Haley Lydstone , KSC Dietetic Interns 03/11/13

1. What are the three successes of the Cuban revolution? Health, education & sports. What are the 3 failures of the Cuban revolution? Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cultural Presentation, By: Whitney Houser, Haley Lydstone, KSC Dietetic Interns 03/11/13

2. Cuban History • Discovered 5 centuries ago by Christopher Columbus • Largest island of the West Indies • 90 miles southwest of Florida • Gained independence from Spain in 1902

3. Life in Cuba • Currency: Cuban Peso • Average monthly income: $25.00 • Semitropical climate: 70-80 degrees • More than 4,000 islands • Population: 11 million • Capital: Havana • Spanish speaking • Multiple religions

4. Libreta: Rationing • Gather with your group. • Read the instructions in your booklet. • Determine what you will need to feed your family for a month. • Discuss with a group if this would be enough for your family or would you need to find another way to feed them.

5. What Will we learn today? • Students will demonstrate their understanding of how the strict restrictions of the ration card has affected national nutrition status. • Students will demonstrate their understanding of how relations between Cuba and other foreign governments has affected food security. • Students will demonstrate their understanding of how the Cuban urban agricultural system has developed.

6. Historical Timeline • 1959: US Embargo is implemented following fall of leader Batista • 1962: Ration card introduced in response to new communist policy of shared wealth • 1962-late 1980s: Time of plenty: Cuba is major sugar cane exporter. • 1990: Soviet Union falls, Cuba loses major relationship * • 1992-1995: Cuba reaches peak oil, 60% decline in food availability. • Mid 1990s: Start of urban agriculture, gardens begin popping up all over Havana. • 1997: Officially urban agriculture movement begins • February 25th 2013: Government debating removing bread, eggs, grains from ration card.

7. “Special Period” • Special Period: Years following the Soviet Union fall in 1990. • The single most significant event in the history of the Cuban food system. • Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union, Cubans were major grower and exporter of sugar to the fellow communist nation. • The Soviet Union exported dairy, grains, produce, and oil to Cuba, which was highly reliant upon such goods. • “No where did the future look bleaker than on the farm and in the market” –Bill McKibbin, Deep Economy

8. “Special Period” • Bill McKibben in Deep Economyexplained: “(After the fall) the new Russia no longer wanted to pay a premium on Cuban sugar for the simple glory of supporting a tropical version of Leninist past.” • Cuba became the first place in the world to experience peak oil. • The nation lost their major food source almost overnight. • This dramatic decrease in food availability forced the nation to become self-sustaining and it dramatically changed their food system. • They developed strong national socio-environmental policy as a result of the special period.

9. Nutritional Implications • Average 3000 cals/day before Soviet Union fall • 1,900cals/day, nutrient deficiencies • Ration card: Picked up at Bodegas (markets), provides staples like: rice, legumes, potatoes, sugar, bread, eggs and small amount of milk and meat. • Only provides about 1/3rd of Cuban diet for roughly 10 days but only available 1x/mo. • What you get and how much is based on age, gender. • On average, most Cuban adults lost between 20-30lbs and have slowly been gaining that back. • 80% of consumption now is provided by government subsidies (imports like rice from Vietnam, some apples and beef from US)

10. Iron-deficiency anemia Overweight and malnourished Marasmas Nutritional implications • From 1998-2000, 13% of population was chronically undernourished • Average diet provided: • Less than 80% of protein needs • Less than 50% fat needs • Micronutrient deficiencies

11. Urban Agriculture (UA) “No piece of land should be left uncultivated” -Fidel Castro • Food crisis UA emerged • Steady supply of fresh, healthy and varied products • Chemical pesticides prohibited • Strongly supported by the government

12. Urban Agriculture (UA) Different types: • Popular Gardens* • Basic production units • State co-operative supply farms • Individual farms • State farms • Organoponicos

13. Weaknesses: Water availability Poor soil quality Lack of seed diversity Urban Agriculture (UA) Strengths: • Popular gardens brought back traditional crops, introduced new ones • Organoponicos provide complementary foods

14. Cuba Fast Facts: Did You Know… • In 2011, personal items, such as soap and toothpaste were removed from the ration card • Urban Agriculture (UA) provides 320,000 Cubans with part-time jobs • The largest Organoponico is managed by the Federation of Cuban Women, and employs 140 women • There are 773 organic gardens in Cuba • Many Cubans must resort to black markets to purchase goods

15. Call To Action In the US, food is everywhere, from gas stations to fast-food; not all countries have such easy access to a wide variety of foods. Think about how different your life would be if you lived in Cuba, and how would this impact your health?

16. Questions/Comments?

17. References • http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/cuba-facts/ • Driggs, E. (2003). Food security and nutrition in Cuba. Focus on Cuba. 47, 1-6. • http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Cuba-CLIMATE.html#b • travel.state.gov • www.operationworld.com • www.axisoflogic.com • www.cityfarmer.info • blogs.evergreen.edu • allthingsd.com • “No More Soap, Toothpaste on Cuban Ration Cards”. CBS News, January 3, 2011.