World Food Prize laureate Pedro Sanchez, a soils scientist, says Cuba “could be a very good market” for U.S. food companies, but adds that “it’s not a one-way situation.” In an interview with UC Food Observer, Sanchez said, “America has so much to learn from Cuba. Some of the agricultural techniques used in Cuba may benefit our food system.” Cuban scientists have done extensive work in organic agriculture, a practical response to shortages of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, that has yet to appear in international journals, he said. “There is tremendous interest in a range of collaborative activities,” from visiting lecturers to joint work on germplasm and climate change.
“The opportunities range along the entire value chain of agriculture, including the possibility of exporting agricultural machinery to Cuba and importing high-value crops produced in Cuba,” said Sanchez. Cuba is giving attention to domestic production as a way to improve food security. But its agricultural schools attract few students and although private farming is expanding, experienced farmers often are an older demographic. “Cuba is in worse shape than America in terms of aging farmers,” Sanchez noted.