Canada-Cuba Farmer to Farmer
Project
PROJECT RATIONALE
Agriculture in Canada:
Sectoral
Concerns
- Globalization
- Elimination of
subsidies/supports
- Dilution of crop
disaster mechanisms
- Increased import
competition
from monoculture, factory farms
- Reduction in Trade
Protection
(CITT), countervail and dumping allegations by US interests
- Increasing land
and
environmental
compliance costs
- Cooperatives
undermined
- Supply management
under attack
- Highly
concentrated
suppliers
and buyers; withdrawal of local processing capacity
- Fundamental
changes in
market
structure (large food conglomerates take over from independent
processors,
distributors, retailers)
- Multinational
contract
integration
of farm sector
- Dramatic fall in
farm
income
(decapitalization)
- Dramatic increase
in
farm debt
- Loss of
independence
of Canada's
farmers
Canada Cuba Farmer to
Farmer
Project Rationale
If
multi-national
concentration is the CANCER of the market system, then multi-national
cooperation is the ANTIDOTE...
Objective:
The creation of a new,
ethical model for international engagement between farmers
in Canada and Cuba to forge sustainable links between farming, health,
cooperation, environment, nutrition, ethics and community.
Mandate:
...to develop a model
through
which Canadian and Cuban farmers can work cooperatively to build
capacity that will enhance the development of sustainable food
production models to improve both the economics of farming and
the environmental, ecological and nutritional sustainability of the
land
and her communities, keeping both "in good heart"...
This Project will:
- Support
sustainable
farming
practices and skills and technology transfer in Canada and Cuba.
- Improve Canadian farmers'
access to Cuban skills in organic agriculture.
- Improve Canadian farmers' access
to Cuban skills and experience in sustainable, organic urban
agriculture.