Cuba strengthens sustainable agroecology

HAVANA, Cuba, February 16 (ACN) The project "Strengthening Productive Capacities to Stimulate Food Security in the San Juan River Sub-basin," implemented between March 2024 and December 2025 in the Sierra del Rosario, western province of Artemisa, consolidated agroecological and sustainable management practices in rural communities of Candelaria, reported the newspaper El Artemiseño.

Damaysa Arzola Delgado, senior specialist at the Center for Environmental Studies and Services of Artemisa (Cesaart by its Spanish acronym), told the newspaper that the initiative established a scientific and technical baseline for the sustainable management of the protected area, strengthening community resilience and the conservation of agrobiodiversity.

The comprehensive agroecological diagnosis identified eight environmental units and limiting factors such as water pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and informal land tenure, while evaluating the agroecological integrity of 22 productive farms.

Agroforestry management methodologies were validated on demonstration farms, and areas were implemented with agroforestry and silvopastoral practices adapted to local conditions, allowing for improved production without harming the ecosystem.

The project included training workshops on soil management, pests, organic fertilizers, and agritourism, as well as interest groups with children from Las Terrazas, who participated in planting and caring for plants to prepare traditional dishes.

Representatives from the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve in Mexico visited the area to exchange experiences in sustainable management, reinforcing the replicability of the methodologies applied in the Sierra del Rosario.

According to specialists, the results contribute to national policies on food sovereignty and addressing climate change, consolidating the Sierra del Rosario as an ecological laboratory and a benchmark for development in harmony with nature.