Food Insecurity Case Study - Cuba (LIDC)

Question 1

What four food security problems did Cuba face following the collapse of the USSR in 1991?

Answer 1

• More than 50% of oil imports were lost.
• External trade decreased by 85%.
• Food imports were greatly decreased.
• Average daily calorie intake fell from 3012 to 2325 kcal from 1989 to 1993.

Question 2

How much of total food in Cuba is imported, and how much does this cost per year?

Answer 2

70-80% of food is imported, and costs US$2 billion per year.

Question 3

In what two ways has Cuba become more self sufficient in recent years?

Answer 3

• The country is now 90% self sufficient in fruit and vegetables.
• Overall domestic production has increased since 2011.

Question 4

What three problems with agriculture does Cuba face?

Answer 4

• Severe weather is increasingly frequent due to climate change.
• Farms such as sugar plantations have degraded soils.
• Mechanisation has seen little implementation.

Question 5

What two political food security problems does Cuba face?

Answer 5

• There is a shortage of foreign exchange for imported food.
• State-owned farms are highly inefficient, such as in 2012 when tomato crops rotted due to very slow collection from state trucks.

Question 6

What are the two problems with food shops in Cuba?

Answer 6

• Shops vary in stock and carry little fresh produce.
• They are too expensive.

Question 7

How much of Havana’s fruit and vegetable demand is supplied by urban farms?

Answer 7

Around half.

Question 8

How many urban farms does Havana have, and how many workers do they employ?

Answer 8

383,000 urban farms with 140,000 workers.