URBAN FARMING IN HAVANA, CUBA

Tory Brewster - February 20, 2012 From the time of the Cuban revolution in 1959 until the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba imported most of its food, agricultural equipment, and other basic necessities from the USSR. In 1989, the Soviets ceased providing Cuba with supplies, causing a devastating crisis in the country. There was not enough food to support the population, particularly in Havana where 1/5 of the countrys population lived. Individuals, with support from the government, began to create urban farms within the city of Havana in order to support its inhabitants. Since then the use of urban farms has grown, and now most of the citys food is produced within the city limits.

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Beginning of the Periodico Especial en Tiempo de Paz - Special Period in a time of peace After the crisis, Cuba lost more than 75% of its import and export capacity An estimated 67% reduction of food availability due to the crisis and US Embargo

Beginning of the agricultural crisis

Imports dropped by between 50% and 80%

1820

1860
Cuba becomes worlds largest sugar exporter

1959 Revolution
Introduction of Socialism Agrarian Reforms: machinisation of the National Agricultural sector, intensive use of agro-chemical products Heavy dependence of Cubas food and agriculture industry on imports 100% of wheat, 90% of beans, 57% of all calories consumed 48% of fertilizer, 82% of pesticide 97% of animal feeds

1989

1991 1992

1994

Cuban agriculture dominated by sugar cane production

Russian Economic Crisis Imports from Russia ceased Drastic reduction in electricity generation, food storage US Embargo With the stated purpose of maintaining sanctions on the Castro regime so long as it continues to refuse to move toward democratizationa dn greater respect for human rights (Cuban Democracy Act of 1992)

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Havana, Cuba
Havana covers 721 km2, 0.67% of the total area of Cuba The city has about 2.2 million inhabitants, or 20% of the total population of Cuba The population density is 3,014 persons/km2 From 1990 to 1994 an estimated 25,000 people worked on about 1800 hectares of organoponicos The total area of Havana is 721 km2, of which 299 km2 is used for agricultural production (41.5%), in which a very high diversity of crops is produced

In the neighborhood directly to the east of Havanas Plaza, one of the densist areas in the city, there are around ten farms.

Havanas Plaza

Vacant lots like this (above) are turned into urban farms like the one below

Downtown Havana

Havana, Cuba
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Autoconsumos Estatales Organoponicos de Alto Rendimiento

Autoconsumos Estatales

Size: 1 hectare or more Location: Peri-Urban Farmers: Voluntary cultivations by workers Use of crops: Feed state workers, support daycare centers, homes for the elderly, and facilities for new borns, surplus sold to workers Yield in 2000: .6 kg/m2 per year

Organoponicos de Alto Rendimiento

Organoponicos
Huertos Intensivos

Size: 1 hectare or more Location: Government allotted vacant urban sites, not suitable for direct agriculture use, soil and containers for growing brought in Farmers: Commercially viable work centers or cooperatives Use of crops: Produce for sale to the population and tourist sector Yield in 2000: 25 square meters per year

Organoponicos
Huertos Populares 1000 m2 2000 m2
tive.

Size: 2000 m2 to 5000m2 Location: Vacant urban sites, not suitable for direct agriculture use, require imported soil and containers Farmers: Groups of individuals formed into a collecInstitutional technical support and advice Use of crops: Produce for trade and small-scale consumption by producers Yield in 2000: 20 square meters per year Size: 1000 m2 to 3000 m2 Location: Urban or peri-urban state owned or private Farmers: One person or family, several families or cooperative Use of crops: Feed producers and for trade Yield in 2000: 8-12 square meters per year

3000 m2

Huertos Intensivos
land

5000 m2

Huertos Populares/Privados

1 hectare
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Size: Less than 1000 m2 Location: Urban or peri-urban vacant lots, unexploited area within educational or health facilities. State owned or private. Farmers: One person or family Use of crops: To supply cultivator or family Yield in 2000: 8-12 square meters per year

Huertos Populares/Privados

Huertos Populares Intensivos

Organoponicos

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Cassava

Sweet Potato

Beans

Common crops grown on urban farms in Havana

Vegetables Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Lettuce, Okra, Onion, Parsley, Pepper, Pumpkin, Red pepper, String bean, Tomato Fruit crops Avocado, Frying banana, Chiri Moya, Coconut, Guava, Lemon, Lime, Mamey, Mango, Orange, Papaya, Pineapple, Plantain, Sweetsop, Watermelon Cereals Rice Herbs, spices and medicinal plants Aloe, Arrowroot, Balm, Basil, Chamomile, Dill, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Ginger, Indigo, Ivy, Jasmine, Lemongrass Macow, Mint, Passion flower, Pepper, Peppermint, Periwinkle, Poinsettia, Rue, Sage, Tamarind, Water Willow Herb Root crops Cassava, Potato, Sweet potatoes, Taro, Yams Legumes Peanut, Bean, Pea

Provides ground cover Fixates soil with nitrogen

Shades plants below

Others Sugar cane

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Abilities Relieves food insecurity in urban settings Provides fresh, healthy food to urban populations at a fraction of the cost of supermarkets Creates jobs and helps the economy Encourages community activities, creating a safe atmosphere Reduces energy and oil usage, pollution, and waste output Constraints Scarcity of land Scarcity of water Quality of topsoil Plant disease and pests Theft of produce

This 1-hectare farm featured rows and rows of raised beds built with recycled concrete and rocks. The beds are filled with soil and amended with wormcompost that is made on site. The farm grows a wide range of fresh vegetables year round, including sweet peppers, tomatoes, greens, medicinal and culinary herbs, cucumbers, eggplants and more.

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BIOREMEDIATION
PHYTOREMEDIATION CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS

POLLUTION OF LAKE ONONDAGA

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REQUIREMENTS IN SOIL AND GROUNDWATER MICROBIAL POPULATION :Suitable kinds of organisms that can biodegrade all of the contaminants WATER: 50% - 70% of the holding capacity of the soil TEMPERATURE: Appropriate temperatures for microbial growth (0 40 degrees C) NUTRIENTS: Nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and other nutrients to support good microbial growth OXYGEN : Enough to support aerobic biodegradation (about 2% oxygen in the gas phase or .4mg/liter in the water) pH: 6.5 to 7.5 IF THESE ARE NOT PRESENT, THE MICROBES WILL GROW TOO SLOWLY, DIE, OR POSSIBLY CREATE MORE HARMFUL CHEMICALS

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Phytoremediation is used for the remediation of metals, radio active substances, pesticides, explosives, fuels, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) PHYTOEXTRACTION: Removal of contaminants from soils PHYTODEGRADATION: Plant degradation of contaminants after uptake PHYTOACCUMULATION: Contaminant accumulation in above ground biomass RHIZOSPHERE DEGRADATION: enhancement of rhizosphere microbial bioremediation GROUNDWATER INTERCEPTION: Plants with large water requirements reduce contaminated groundwater movement LIVING CAPS: Reduction of leachate in landfills
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PHYTOREMEDIATION

PROS Clean Cost effective Non-environmentally disruptive Can remediate large areas of soil Aesthetically pleasing Low maintenance CONS Only works as deep as roots can reach Plants affected by the harmful chemicals must be properly disposed of in order to avoid damage to the food chain Requires time Works best on lower concentrations of contaminant Does not work through winter ALFALFA SUDAN GRASS RYE GRASS

BLUE-GREEN ALGAE

DUCKWEED

WATER LILIES

BERMUDA GRASS

ALPINE BLUEGRASS

HYBRID POPLAR

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BEDFORD SITE
1999 - 2002
Manufactured gas plant site with high contamination levels at 3 to 6 feet Two different treatments are used: hybrid poplar/grass cover, and natural attenuation Fertilization and irrigation used as needed Soil from three depths are being analyzed for contaminant concentration, microbial characteristics, and toxicity over the three year study

CONTAMINANT ANALYSIS (PAHS)

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CONTAMINANT ANALYSIS (PAHS)

BEDFORD GREENHOUSE STUDY

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CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
FOUR PARTS Liner: Usually PVC Distribution media: Course rock that spreads wastewater across the width of the wetlands Plants: Often cattails, bulrushes, reeds, sedges Under-drain system: Pipe at end of drainfield

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PROS Ecologically sound Easy to maintain Can tolerate different water levels Aesthetically pleasing and provides a habitat for wildlife Can work in winter with thicker insulation (extra bed depth or surface insulation) CONS The long-term effectiveness of constructed wetlands is not well known Expensive Colder conditions slow the rate at which the wetland is able break down contaminants A heavy flow of incoming water can overload the removal mechanisms in a wetland, while a dry spell can damage plants and severely limit wetland function

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SYRACUSE FARMS
Outside of the city of Syracuse there is an abundance of farms that can be used to supply food to the city Often the crops are sent across the country, instead of being kept within the region they were grown in Farms in the Syracuse area often have major roads into the city nearby
Farm Grocery Farmers market Other Urban Farm land Major road

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SYRACUSE INNER HARBOR EXISTING CONDITIONS

SOIL TYPE Urban: Dense, high in clay, contains metals, most likely petroleum, harmful chemicals, etc. WATER QUALITY Poor: As a result of the contaminated beds, and presence of harmful substances such as mercury, the water is still unsafe for human consumption

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SITE REMEDIATION
Constructed wetlands along waters edge clean the water as well as the soil they are planted in Further inland, plants can be used for phytoremediation in areas where the soil contamination has not exceeded the plants root depth Plantings can be combined with capped areas of land, which can then have new soil placed on top of them, or they can be used to build on.

Constructed wetlands Phytoremediation/bioremediation Cap soil and use immediately

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Sources CPULs - Urban Agriculture in Havana Opportunities for the Future, Jorge Pena Diaz and Prof. Phil Harris http://www.cityfarmer.org/cuba.html http://www.cityfarmer.info/category/cuba/ http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/08/23/200-urban-farms-in-havana/ http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/pub/2000_aug_pub.html Chaplowe, Scott G. "Havana's Popular Gardens: Sustainable Prospects for Urban Agriculture." The Environmentalist 18 (1998): 47-57. Print. Novo, Mario G., and Catherine Murphy. URBAN AGRICULTURE IN THE CITY OF HAVANA: A POPULAR RESPONSE TO A CRISIS. Case Study. 1998. Print.
http://www.pollutionissues.com/A-Bo/Bioremediation.html#b http://biotechpedia.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/bioremediation/ http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/phytoremediation/ http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/fss/fss02/schwabpresent.pdf http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD7671.html
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