Caring in Crisis: Glimpse of New Resilient Ways
Photo by Luis Carlos Palacios. Taken from Juventud Rebelde article
May 8, 2020
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This week, we are seeing some data points on COVID-19 in Cuba that give us reason to be hopeful. We also have many reasons to remain concerned about intensifying economic hardship, precarity, environmental degradation, and broken food systems around the globe.
We believe that creating more caring societies means taking care of people AND taking care of the planet. For this, we need equitable and sustainable food systems.
In the eighth week of our Caring in Crisis (#COVID-19) newsletter, we share the latest news on Cuba during coronavirus, touch on issues of food and agriculture, and share messages from Fernando Funes Monzote and other colleagues from Cuba’s agroecology movement. Plus, continue scrolling for a new music video release from some faces you might recognize.
Cuba and COVID-19
Apart from a small increase of cases (26) and deaths (4) on Wednesday, Cuba has been seeing better numbers. Yesterday, only 12 new cases were recorded (the lowest number in the past 6 weeks) and there was one death. The total of confirmed cases since the pandemic began has now reached 1,741 and 74 lives have been lost. The Ministry of Health declared that 11 “events of local transmission” have been “concluded” and quarantine has ended in those localities. In more good news, all Covid-19 patients in the Granma province are recovered and have been discharged from the hospital. Although the government is continuing to update protective measures, Cuban borders are now expected to open again May 31st.
Internationalism and Solidarity
Cuba’s Pedro Kouri Institute for Tropical Diseases received a donation of 100,000 testing kits from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Spain exported to Cuba 41,738 items of protective gear and The Communist Party of China sent Cuba a donation of 6000 N95 facemasks and 60,000 surgical facemasks. Last Friday, the very first Cuban international medical brigade composed entirely of women – a group of nurses going to Trinidad to care for COVID-19 patients – headed out.
Stop US Sanctions
On Tuesday, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) headed a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urging them to confirm that US policy does not preclude companies and humanitarians from providing essential medical equipment, food, and information to the people of Cuba to combat COVID-19.
Food, Agriculture, and Resilience,
As the FAO reports, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed “critical weaknesses and inequalities” in global food systems and revealed ways that both health and food systems, and all the people who compose them, “have been under-valued and under-protected” for years. This is revealed in the rampant hunger and malnutrition that is currently occurring globally, even as food is being wasted. In Cuba, as in many countries, current challenges lie in both the food chain and distribution. Ironically, many Cubans are risking exposure by waiting in long lines to purchase certain food items, while at the same time, some of our colleagues working in urban agriculture report that they cannot find ways to sell their produce when their regular customers are staying at home.
On the other hand, as the FAO also points out, “the crisis has given a glimpse of new, more resilient ways of feeding communities.” Many Cuban farmers are at the frontlines of continuing to work the fields, even while wearing facemasks. Various growers are adopting to growing short cycle (fast-growing crops) using low-resource agroecological methods and many individual farmers and cooperatives are donating their harvest to medical facilities and centers of isolation. Even while struggling to produce food for society, some (see below) are making time to share reflections and advice for how to create sustainable and equitable food systems long term.
We hope that everyone is safe and well and wish a very happy mothers' day to all of you!
With care,
Sarah, Justine, Mariakarla
Fernando Funes-Monzote is a world-renowned agroecologist, farmer, and researcher (whom many of you have visited with us).
We asked him what advice he has for people hoping to support food security and sovereignty during this crisis. He shares:
What we need is a perspective that is more committed to the countryside; one that is concerned not only with the production of food, but also with safeguarding the local environment, and promoting economically and socially sustainable processes. Some practical tips: (1) Produce food with your own hands, even if it seems insignificant. (2) Think about how to involve more people in the creative work of producing food. Working in a group promotes collective action and shared commitment. (3) Identify the resources present in the environment where you live, and then use them in the most rational way. In other words, think about the opportunities that your own context offers. (4) Support farmers, in any way that you can. (5) And finally, continue to consume responsibly, even in these challenging times.
Ismar Garcé and Roger Santiesteban are urban farmers and permaculture and agroecology promoters in Sancti Spíritus province. We asked them what they would recommend to anyone hoping to take advantage of this time at home to grow their own food:
During these times at home, the most important thing to consider is how we are thinking and feeling. In terms of food production, it is important to first cultivate the desire to grow. This can begin with a first experience of putting any possible seed you can get into a small container filled with dirt. Seeing these seeds grow will give you the desire to continue, and you can take the opportunity to continuing experimenting with other seeds. Once you’ve had this first experience, look for containers (any household item) that are at least 10 centimeters deep, find good soil to fill them with, and begin planting vegetables and herbs! When you've produced your own edible plants, your love for growing will be even stronger.