Cuba's agriculture has a long history, starting from the Indian period, but it was not until the modern era that Cuban agriculture began to gradually improve.
End of the XIX century
At the end of the 19th century, Cuba became part of Spain. During that period, the sugar industry was the main pillar of Cuba's economy. The sugar industry accounts for far more than other sectors of the economy. At that time, the cultivation and processing of sugar fields was done by hand. Without modern mechanical technology, workers had to rely on a large number of laborers to do the job, which led to a shortage of human resources and worker dissatisfaction, which eventually led to labor disputes.
At the end of the 19th century, the sugar industry has been the backbone of the Cuban economy, becoming the world's largest sugar producer, accounting for more than a third of Cuba's gross domestic product.
At the end of the 19th century, the Cuban sugar industry was mainly controlled by the Spaniards. They occupied large amounts of land and used slaves and servants for production. Slavery was abolished in 1886, but the way sugar was produced did not change much. The sugar production process remained extremely arduous, and the source of labor changed from slaves to farmers. This mode of production has led to social inequality and an increase in the gap between the rich and the poor.
Later, the Cuban government began to encourage foreign capital to invest in the Cuban sugar industry. Foreign capitalists gradually occupied the dominant position in the Cuban sugar industry, resulting in the gradual loss of autonomy and control of the direction of development of the Cuban sugar industry, and these foreign capitalists only considered their own interests and neglected the survival and development of farmers.
By the end of the 19th century, the production methods and economic patterns of the Cuban sugar industry had begun to show a pathological trend. In order to promote economic development, the Cuban government began to think about how to change this economic model. Against this background, Cuba began to explore the development of other agricultural products.
After 1917
In 1917, the Cuban government began to take steps to promote modern agriculture. The Government carried out agricultural reforms and provided land and equipment to farmers. The Government has also established schools and training centres to help farmers increase their productivity. During this period, the agricultural sector overtook the sugar industry and became an important support in the country's economy.
The year 1917 marked an important turning point in Cuban history, when the Cuban government sought to improve the production and living conditions of peasants while promoting agricultural modernization.
In 1917, Cuba's agricultural production faced a serious crisis, mainly due to the inefficiency of sugar production and the poor living conditions of the peasants. The government believes that only by changing the way agricultural production is allowed to promote the development of agriculture.
The government began to encourage farmers to adopt modern farming methods, such as mechanization, chemical fertilizers and irrigation systems, to improve the efficiency of agricultural production. The Government has also established a number of agricultural training centres to better adapt them to new production methods.
Through the enactment of new land laws and agricultural laws, the government promotes land reform, protects the rights and interests of farmers, and encourages farmers to establish agricultural cooperatives so that farmers can share resources and jointly operate agricultural production.
The government has also instituted new trade policies to encourage farmers to produce more agricultural products and expand foreign trade. The government promotes the marketing of agricultural products by building new ports and railways.
Cuba's agriculture began to modernize, scale and specialize. Although the reform has achieved some results, under the changes in the economic and social environment, the agricultural reform has encountered setbacks, and the Great Depression of the 2020s has had a great impact on the Cuban economy, and the government's reform plan has stalled as a result.
The year 1917 marked an important milestone in the history of Cuban agriculture.
After 1959
By 1959, a change had taken place in Cuba, and the government had embarked on comprehensive agrarian reform, with a focus on land reform and the collectivization of agriculture. The government reclaimed land from large farms and distributed it to smallholders and cooperatives. This has greatly improved the living conditions of farmers and increased agricultural productivity.
In 1959, Cuba's agriculture was still in a backward state, and the sugar industry was the backbone of the Cuban economy, but there were problems in this industry, such as the large gap between the rich and the poor and the poor working conditions of farmers.
The Cuban Government had introduced land reform, recovering the land of large landowners and distributing it to poor peasants in order to solve the problem of peasant land shortage. In this way, many farmers were able to own their own land and earn income through their own labor, which improved the living standards of farmers.
The Cuban government encourages farmers to form agricultural cooperatives to jointly operate agricultural production, pool resources and technology, and improve efficiency and yield. The development of cooperatives has promoted the solidarity of farmers and laid the foundation for the development of modern agriculture.
The Cuban government is committed to modernizing agriculture, introducing modern farming methods and technologies, such as mechanization, chemical fertilizers and irrigation systems. The government has invested in the construction of many agricultural infrastructures, such as agricultural research institutions and experimental farms, to improve the level of agricultural technology.
Cuba's agriculture has developed considerably, and in the 60s of the 20th century, Cuban agricultural production reached a peak, and the living standards of farmers also improved greatly.
Late 1960s and early 1970s
Agricultural production in Cuba has faced great challenges. The economic sanctions imposed by the United States Government against Cuba had made it difficult for Cuba to obtain the necessary technological resources, and climate change in the 1960s had led to droughts and floods, severely affecting agricultural production. In addition, the Soviet Union stopped providing economic aid and trade support to Cuba, which dealt a heavy blow to Cuban agricultural production.
The Cuban government began to promote agroecology, or "organic farming". Agroecology refers to the use of natural ecosystems to manage farmland for the purpose of increasing yields. In organic farming, chemical pesticides and fertilizers are not used, but instead rely on the skills of farmers and beneficial organisms in natural ecosystems, such as aphids, bees and centipedes. This agricultural method has played an important role in Cuba's agricultural production by protecting the environment and increasing yields.
The Cuban Government has also promoted agricultural development through the practice of collective farming, that is, the establishment of agricultural cooperatives. These cooperatives are self-organized by farmers and jointly manage their fields and use agricultural production equipment. Cooperatives share labor and scale agricultural production through collective cooperation. To a certain extent, this method has improved the living conditions of farmers and increased the efficiency of agricultural production.
In order to improve agricultural production efficiency and solve the problem of labor shortage, the Cuban government actively promotes agricultural mechanization and introduces a large number of agricultural machinery and equipment, which has improved agricultural production efficiency to a certain extent, but also increased the economic burden of farmers and the maintenance cost of machinery and equipment.
The Cuban government introduced new agricultural technologies during this period, and the promotion of organic agriculture improved the quality of agricultural products to a certain extent, while also reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while strengthening rural infrastructure, such as the construction of rural roads, electricity and water supply.
Beyond the 21st century
The development of international trade and tourism has led to an increase in demand for agricultural products, while Cuba's growing population has increased the demand for food and other agricultural products. The Cuban Government has improved the efficiency of agricultural production, encouraged investment and technological innovation, increased support for farmers, and improved the quality and market competitiveness of agricultural products.
In order to improve the market competitiveness of agricultural products, the Cuban Government has begun to introduce market mechanisms, relax restrictions on private agriculture and encourage private investment and entrepreneurship, which has promoted the development of private agriculture and diversified the supply of agricultural products.
More financial and human resources have been invested in agricultural scientific and technological innovation, agricultural scientific and technological research and technological innovation have been encouraged, Cuban agriculture has become more competitive, organic agriculture has been promoted, farmers have been encouraged to use organic fertilizers and biological pesticides, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been reduced, the quality and environmental protection of agricultural products have been improved, and better development prospects for Cuban agriculture have been brought about.
In the early twenty-first century, the Cuban Government strengthened rural infrastructure, including the construction of rural roads, electricity and water supply. The construction of these infrastructures has improved the living conditions of rural residents and has also promoted the circulation of agricultural products.
Cuba made some achievements in agricultural development in the early twenty-first century, but it still faces many problems. The scientific and technological level and production efficiency of Cuban agricultural production still need to be improved, and the problems of marketing and logistics of agricultural products need to be better solved. In the future, the Cuban government needs to continue to strengthen agricultural reform and promote agricultural modernization and sustainable development.
Cuba's agricultural development has gone through several stages, from the sugar period to modern agriculture, to ecological agriculture and collective agriculture, constantly adapting and responding to changes in the domestic and international environment. Despite all the difficulties, Cuban farmers and the Government have made great efforts over the past few decades to protect the environment, increase agricultural productivity and improve the living conditions of farmers.
The status of agricultural development in Cuba
Agriculture in Cuba plays an important role in the country's economy and society. Agriculture is an important industry for Cuba, and agricultural products are the main commodities exported by Cuba and an important source of demand for the domestic market.
The status of agriculture in Cuba has varied in different historical periods. In the mid-19th century, Cuba's economy was dominated by plantations, mainly growing crops such as sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco, while also developing animal husbandry. During this period, Cuba became an important supplier of agricultural products to Europe and the United States.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Cuban agriculture underwent major changes and developments. The Cuban Government has introduced a series of agrarian reforms and agricultural policies to encourage farmers' cooperatives to manage agricultural production. These measures have contributed to the development and modernization of Cuban agriculture and increased the availability of agricultural products.
After the Cuban Revolution, the Cuban government introduced the socialist system and carried out agricultural reforms, nationalizing land and agricultural means of production. During this period, the Cuban government attached great importance to public investment in agricultural development, strengthened agricultural scientific and technological research and production technology improvement, and promoted the rural cooperative economic model, which led to greater development of Cuban agriculture.
Agriculture in Cuba remains an important pillar of the country's economy and society. Agriculture still accounts for a large share of Cuba's GDP, agricultural exports generate a large amount of income, and farmers make up the majority of the country's population. At the same time, Cuba's agriculture is also facing challenges, such as low agricultural production efficiency, low level of agricultural modernization, and unstable agricultural markets. In the future, the Cuban government will further strengthen agricultural reform and modernization to improve agricultural production efficiency and the competitiveness of agricultural products.
Bibliography:
1. Social Science Review
2. Cuban Cultural Review
3. Cuban Agriculture: Review and Outlook
4. The State of Food and Agriculture 2021
5. Cuban Agriculture: The First 50 Years of the Revolution