This is the inspiring story of the Farmer-to-Farmer Agroecology Movement (MACAC) in Cuba. The movement has spread across Cuba and inspired over 200,000 farmers to take up agro-ecological farming practices. The story shows that it possible for a social movement to take sustainable agroecological farming systems to scale. Their experience …
>> Sicko, Produced and directed by Michael Moore, 125 minutes, USA Michael Moore has penchant for turning polemics into cinema. And good cinema at that. His first film, Roger and Me, delineated the economic plight of small us town in the wake of General Motors' decision to close down its …
Agriculture and food systems play an important role in fossil fuel consumption and climate change because of their significant energy use and because of agriculture
recently the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, denounced us president George Bush's new-found fondness for biofuels. Food stocks for millions would be threatened, Castro warned. The octogenarian Communist speaking on ecology doesn't get much press. Castro's fulminations were duly consigned to back pages of newspapers, where they had more to do …
Global patterns of funding clearly show that medical education remains very much a state-dominated sector. In countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Yellow fever is a dreaded disease in the Americas and Africa. It was an even-more feared malady in the 19th and early 20th century when cures were not readily available. In 1878, some passengers from a ship that left Havana, Cuba carried the fever and spread it in New Orleans, …
On November 4, the un General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of ending the us-imposed embargo against Cuba. The Mexican representative was the first to speak in favor of the anti-blockade resolution. So did Morocco, on behalf of the Group of 77 plus China; and Malaysia, which presides over the …
Despite being at the receiving end of the post-9/11 anthrax attacks, the us is drifting away from the convention that seeks to ban biological weapons. On top of it, Washington has readied a plan for vaccinating us troops against smallpox and enhancing its biodefence infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the country's …
What is the need of regulating biotechnolgy? Biotechnology products have acquired a special significance today as they can be used to cure diseases where conventional drugs have failed. Unfortunately, despite a growing demand for these products, the existing regulations are not comprehensive enough to address the market needs adequately. What …
The message of community based water harvesting is spreading - not just in India but also globally. The Food and Agriculture Organisation ( fao ) now sees "increasing water harvesting and water conservation" as a key challenge for ensuring food security. For a large number of people, especially those who …
for the past two decades, urban agriculture has been on the rise throughout the world, in both poor and wealthy nations. Millions of urban residents in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and increasingly in North America, are growing crops and raising livestock in yards, on rooftops and balconies, along roadsides, and …
aids cases in Cuba has increased to an alarming proportion during 1997. Jorge Perez, director of the aids Sanatorium of Santiago Las Vegas says, during the first half of 1997, nearly 234 cases of hiv infection were detected that are equal to the total cases reported during 1996. Till today, …
At present, Cuba is reaping the benefits of organic farming. Of central importance is an understanding of natural systems of fertilisation and pest control in place of synthetic chemicals. "In the past three years, Cuba has used only 22 per cent of the pesticides it used in 1989," said Luis …
THE long-standing enmity between Cuba and the us has taken a bizarre turn with Cuba accusing the us government at the UN of waging a "biological attack" against it by introducing a plague of tiny, juice-sucking bugs that are now reportedly wreaking havoc on crops in three of its provinces. …
Six years ago, Bill Mckibben wrote The End of Nature and became the most prominent literary environmentalist. But writing this book depressed him, and he decided to look more optimistically at the world around. Thus originated his ne book, Hope, Human and Wild. In this book he relates some true …
Tough measures to curtail the incidence Of AIDS have helped Cuba win what often seems a losing battle in many parts of the world. The methods, adopted a decade ago, include the quarantine of people infected with DIV and an extensive screening programme for pregnant women, blood donors, people with …
Excessive tourism Development is pcoving to be on Cuban environment A major bug msem is the con of a stone bridge dw mainland with on I cays or rand or sand. "It's dw immediate so dw environment inumm; use' says a degist- -We are g swan into the sea know …
Beset by falling fish catches, Cuba has decided to create new, highly independent and flexible production units, with economic and labour conditions which will guarantee worker stimulation. The move will not put an end to the massive loss-making state-run enterprises, but will definitely mean reduced centralism. Cuba has only 1 …
CUBA's plans to rehabilitate its hiv patients within the community rather than locking them up in hospitals has not met with much success. "Uptill now, only 170 people have joined the out-patients scheme, and I have already received several letters requesting readmission," says Jorge Perez Avila, director of the Santiago …
