Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in an Era of Oil Scarcity: Lessons from Cuba

Dr Julia Wright,
Garden Organic
(formerly theHenry Doubleday Research Association)

6.30pm
23 April 2009
Henry Thomas Room

When other nations are forced to rethink their agricultural and food security strategies in light of the post-peak oil debate, they only have one living example to draw from: that of Cuba in the 1990s.

Based on the first and - up till now - only systematic and empirical study to come out of Cuba on this topic, Dr Wright, at thius seminar, drew from her newly published book to examine how the nation successfully headed off its own food crisis after the dissolution of the Soviet Bloc in the early 1990s.

More than 60m people attended this event.

This event was recorded and a DVD is available. To obtain a copy please send a cheque for £5.00p made payable to 'London Metropolitan University', a return address and a note saying that you want the film of this event to the following address:

IISC
London Metropolitan University
31 Jewry St.,
London
EC3N 2EY

Julia Wright

Julia Wright worked in international development for several years before commencing a curiosity-driven PhD research on Cuban agriculture and food security in 1998. In 2003 she moved back to the UK to head the International Development Programme at Garden Organic (formerly the Henry Doubleday Research Association), the national charity for organic research and education. There she has managed projects as diverse as HIV/AIDS in SubSaharan Africa, organic exports from Afghanistan, seed systems in Sri Lanka, and agroforestry in Kenya.

She returns to Cuba every year, supporting the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agricolas in their work with farmers throughout the country to promote local agricultural innovation and especially for drought mitigation. Julia's research on Cuba is bearing increasing relevance with the peak-oil debate and the rise of alternative food systems, including the UK's own Transition Town network.

Copies of Dr Wright's book were be sold at this seminar at a discounted price of £30 (half price) and she will be available to sign copies.

FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE BOOK: http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=26741

HB • £60.00 • 280 pages • 2008