From PRI's PRI's Living on Earth 03 May, 2010 04:49:00
Diversity is needed for both strong culture and strong agriculture,
according to Cuban musician and agricultural scientist Humberto Ríos
Labrada.
"You cannot separate agri with culture," Ríos told "Living on Earth."
Just as a range of opinions creates strong culture, diversity in crops
creates a strong agricultural system.
In Ríos' native Cuba, agriculture was once based on a Soviet-style
system of monoculture and pesticides. After the collapse of the Soviet
Union, which effectively deprived Cuba of its biggest trading partner,
Ríos and others were forced to think of a better way.
Rather than transforming and homogenizing the earth, Ríos worked with
farmers to create a low-input, sustainable agricultural system that
respected the environment and its diversity. He also helped create "seed
fairs" where farmers could exchange knowledge of agriculture and
culture, integrating traditional and scientific knowledge.
"I originally thought that I was going to teach the farmers to improve
seed diversity," Ríos told the Goldman Foundation. "After I started
working with them, I realized they were going to teach me how to create
better crop yields."
Today, the system Ríos pioneered is paying off. Ríos was recently
awarded The Goldman Environmental Prize—which is sometimes called the
Green Nobel. More importantly, there are more than 50,000 farmers in
Cuba currently working with Ríos on farming practices and participating
in seed biodiversity systems.
http://www.pri.org/business/social-entrepreneurs/culture-and-agriculture-in-cuba-1980.html
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