Food Import Dependency in Cuba: Still the ‘Achilles’ Heel of the Revolution'?

Abstract

[ES] The ‘Special Period in Peacetime’ plunged Cuba into an austerity programme of great severity. The crisis forced agriculture to shift dramatically from a model based on trade dependency (sugar exports providing most of the foreign currency) to one prioritising food import substitution. This alternative brought about major transformations in the country’s agriculture. It revolutionised food production and decentralised land ownership. This article asks whether or not these changes reduced food dependency in Cuba. It provides an updated picture of Cuba’s food import dependency, with a particular emphasis on the increased role of small farmers in food production during the 2000s.