Final Thoughts on Cuba: Permaculture in Action and Strength in Community
Final Article 6 in the Sustainable Cuba Series.
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Nothing is wasted, just like in nature. The ants are a formidable force here in Cuba, and pesky as they are, I would call them nature's recyclers. One evening there was a dead lizard on our shelf, with a large trail of ants to it. The next morning, there was not a trace – no lizard, no ants - it was as clean as if there had never been anything there at all.
Seeing many ants over my belongings and crawling out of my pack, I looked through it to double check that I had left no trace of food on the inside. Sure enough, I had left no snacks inside. I have come to understand that the ants climb all over my clothes and backpack in order to eat the sweat from the fabric. They have even eaten large holes into dirtier items of clothing of mine in order to gain the nutrients from my sweat!
One day there was a curious disappearance of one of my juggling balls in a 30 minute period when I left the wooden shack where we were staying. There was no other door, the shack was empty when I left it, and the whole time 'away', I was actually sat right outside the door, so I knew that nobody could have entered. Baffled, we later came across the chewed-up juggling ball... with big holes in it chewed by a hungry rat. What's more, a large trail of ants had found it's way to the ball, and were busy munching on the seeds on the inside. Waste not, want not, as they say!
There are many different types of ants here. These “bibihagua” ants are pests in the field (you can see the hole into their nest in the photo to the right, with a field of newly planted yucca in the background), as they eat the yucca tubers underground and “dry the harvest” (in the words of Pelon the yucca farmer).
Meanwhile, other types of ants form an important part of the integrative pest control on the island.
For example, the predatory ant Pheidole megacephala attacks the sweet potato weevil and is therefore beneficial for farmers. Farmers introduce these ants to the fields by covering banana stems in honey, leaving the stems in areas where these useful ants are abundant such as patches of forest, and when the stems are covered in ants, farmers transport them to the sweet potato fields.
Permaculture Principles that I see clearly in action:
Here are just a few permaculture principles and brief examples of how they are actively and regularly used in Cuba.
Creatively Use and Respond to Change (envision possibilities and intervene in effective ways) – This principle pretty much defines Cuba's adaptation to change after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Integrate (capitalise on how things work together) – There are strong kinship ties between neighbours and families. Also, we're talking about a country where it was law for a while that any government official had to pick up hitch-hikers, due to lack of fuel and therefore transport to get to work etc.! I witnessed a man on the side of the road flag down a horse and carriage, hand the driver (who I assume he didn't know) a package and ask him to drop it off at an address further down the same road. The driver accepted the request kindly and dutifully: Of course, he was going that way anyway!
Produce No Waste – As I explained, disposable packaging and take-away containers are very hard to find in Cuba. Almost every piece of 'waste' is up-cycled and re-used, and transformed into useful ingenious creations.
Use Small, Slow Solutions (local responses and resources, manageable scale) – Just a few small examples from the many that I observed: Over 400,000 teams of oxen have replaced tractors in Cuba, and it is not uncommon to see oxen used even on urban farms. Moreover, to filter water every household has a natural drip filter made from a stone and ceramic pot – I didn't once see an electric pump filter during my time there.
Catch and Store Energy (harvest while it's abundant) - Solar panels are ubiquitous on this sunny island.
Obtain a Yield (Make sure you're getting valuable results) – Cuba's dependency on food imports decreased from over 70% in 1980 to around 42% in 1997 (Source: Alvarez, J., 'The Issue of Food Security in Cuba').
Self-Regulate: Accept feedback (be open to modify dysfunctional behaviours) – Cuba learned that imported chemical fertilizers and mechanic machinery were unsustainable, and have largely converted agricultural systems to use organic solutions and oxen teams to work the land.
Use and Value Renewables (reduce dependency on scarce resources) – Only in-season locally produced food is available. Imported food is not fresh and is extremely expensive, and is mainly imported to satisfy needy tourists who are accustomed to more diversity.
Of course, no country is perfect. There is a large lack of resources and many Cubans feel limited in their options and restricted by their government. Despite country-wide free healthcare, education, and food rations for every citizen, the dual economy in Cuba means that many Cubans cannot afford simple luxuries that any tourist would pay for without batting an eyelid (such as toilet paper, to give an example).
On the upside, I would argue that the 'silver lining' produced by scarcity of material goods is increased compassion and understanding between fellow humans...
Kinship and Community Ties
Cuba is a beautiful country, but even more beautiful is the generosity and genuine kind-heartedness that I experienced there... (photos of 'sin amor no se hace nada' and the smiley man).
Everyone has time for each other, even in the big cities. You ask for directions, and without a doubt, whoever you have asked will stop what they are doing, and even leave their desk or home to walk out to the street and point you in the right direction. (And then give you a few other options, in case their first directions don't work out.)
Everyone here works in community. From rural farming households to big inner-city apartment blocks, all neighbours are family, and they are always popping around to each other's homes to say hi, share a meal or some conversation. As Havana-resident Adela, 65, explains, “Of course everyone in this big apartment block knows each other. I lend my washing machine to my neighbour, and she lets me use her phone whenever I need. If any neighbour needs sugar, someone else will help them out, and if I'm ever in need, I know my neighbours will provide. It's the same for all Cubans, and all over Havana.”
...If only the same could be said for every community on this globe.
