La seguridad alimentaria ha sido siempre uno de los objetivos más importantes en Cuba desde la revolución. A partir del año 2008 se convirtió en el objetivo más importante del gobierno... "We never leave anything without taking it out, everything is taken out here, everything is taken out, everything is taken out, nothing is left in the cellar here" HERE IS EVERYTHING Louis Thiemann, PhD candidate in development studies at the International Institute of Social Studies de la Erasmus University Rotterdam. He works on issues related to the political economy of food, class theory, among others... Who in your family usually does the shopping at the grocery store? Well, my husband does the shopping in my store, he's the one who goes every month to run errands. Do you buy other “controlled”, “regulated” or “regulated” products? for this system? Through this supply book system, we buy products from the warehouse and once a month in the local currency store, which used to be in CUC, now in national currency, we buy chicken, detergent and oil; that's the same for the notebook there once a month. What products from the supply book do you consume most frequently? Do you leave any without removing in the month? From the basic food basket, what we consume the most is rice and beans, and we never leave anything untaken, everything is taken out here, everything is taken out, everything is taken out, nothing is left in the cellar here. Nothing is going to be returned to the State here, in short, that does not return to the State, but hey, you and I know how things are, here nothing is left anywhere, everything for your house. How much of your formal income does the monthly purchase of the products in the notebook represent? Do you consider that your ability to acquire them has been affected since the monetary reform? This monthly purchase of products from the supply book represents 6% of our income. And, I do consider that my purchasing power has been affected since the monetary reform, before with less than 100 pesos we used to buy 3 people's errands here, now we need more than 400 pesos. How many days of the month would you say that the basic products of the notebook are enough for the family? We could say that these products last approximately 12 days, that is, they are enough for me for 12 days, an average more or less 12, 15. In my case, the rice lasts for me at the end of the month, because we do not consume that much rice, or be the children eat little rice. Here the one who eats the most is Jose and he doesn't have lunch here, since he works he has lunch at his job. But hey, the beans last a week, the coffee more or less 15 days, because I don't strain in the afternoon, I just do it in the morning, it lasts a little longer for me, there are those who last less. The chicken is 2 to 3 meals, if you distribute it in portions, here the chicken is divided into portions, and well, you distribute it and well, more or less you get 2 to 3 meals. The picadillo per child is enough for 1 meal, the oil for 10 to 12 days because that doesn't last any longer, and it lasts for me from 10 to 12 days, because I don't get cold that much, because Jose doesn't eat fried foods, because we take care of ourselves, because I try not to eat excess fat, anyway, but there are those who don't get it after 12 days, at least it gets to me, but there are those who don't. Does any member of your family receive a special diet? Table 1: Annual harvest before and during the current crisis, in thousands of tons. Source: ONEI, Statistical Yearbook 2020. Why do food distribution difficulties persist in warehouses? For certain products (for example, rice and meat) the collapse in production during the last 3-4 years is certainly a significant factor in stopping delays in the distribution of some of the items in the booklet. Most of the book's products, however, are imported, so their distribution depends on a centralized chain of activities rather than the “self-organized chaos” behind the societal markets. without inside information it is difficult to say at which particular point the distribution chain breaks.  Although Cuba can buy food from anywhere in the world - including the US - Cuban state companies do not honor payments for orders they have already received, so many of its trading partners prefer receive cash payment in advance. Since the flow of money and oil received from Venezuela has decreased from its highest point between 2013 and 2014, and since the crisis generated by the pandemic collapsed the tourism sector and the receipt of remittances, the Cuban state will surely It is having cash flow problems, which means that there are fewer imports and that the supply of food from abroad is more erratic. This particularly affects the supply of the notebook. Once the products arrive at the port, the next big difficulty is in the transportation infrastructure. There are often malfunctions in key processing structures (such as the wheat mills in Havana), AND storage capacities are often insufficient, especially for perishables. the emblematic example of this year is that even the paper on which the notebooks are printed did not arrive on time. Finally, the low wages paid throughout the food distribution system generate a series of significant “losses” as warehouse and transportation workers, as well as storekeepers, “take their share”._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ Regardless of whether we believe that this “spontaneous privatization” is legitimate or not, we must recognize that few workers would continue to go to their jobs every morning if they only obtained their salaries and legal incentives. According to estimates made by Carmelo Mesa-Lago, real wages in 2019 were still less than half the 1989 level and have surely fallen considerably given inflation that has outpaced wage increases during 2020-1.  In structural terms, it is necessary to observe the poor state of the food distribution system used by the MINCIN between stores and warehouses – in other words, the state food system in Cuban pesos-. The difference between supermarkets and stores could not be more striking, and not only in terms of food. The refrigeration units, information technology and secure warehouses required to make the work carried out by MINCIN more efficient have been massively acquired to supply MINFAR supermarkets. This difference is also evident in the human resources sector. How has the monetary union affected access to food by purchase for Cuban citizens? The key question has to do with whether inflation has outpaced wage increases or whether wages have managed to outpace inflation. ONEI data indicates that State salaries increased from 1,200 Cuban pesos (CUP) in 2020 to 3,934 Cup in 2021 – an increase of 228%. Inflation has grown faster, although in a different way for certain products (including many of the foods produced by small producers) whose prices have increased between 2 and 3 times, while others (such as electricity rates and inputs agricultural) have increased up to 20 times their value. The value of remittances, on the other hand, has remained stable – a momentous reshuffling of purchasing power between households that have members in the Diaspora and those that do not. In this particular matter, the current crisis that has its causes in several factors that include, but should not be reduced to, COVID 19, has a substantial difference compared to the "Special Period": Cuba's food system receives several billion dollars (USD) in remittances annually, but access to food has become much more inequitable in a short period of time. The biggest problem, from my point of view, is that the changes in monetary policy have not managed to solve the problem towards which they were directed:  the double exchange rate that privileges some economic actors . State companies that have access to the official exchange rate of 1:24 still have access to dollars at a much lower price than what private citizens and companies could get, who by January 2022 paid between 80-85 per dollar at the rate of casual change. Many producers perceive the dual currency system to be a greater inhibitor today than it was two or five years ago, given the increasing amount of inputs they must buy in MLC, while still selling in CUP. Which is the reason  fundamental of food distribution in Cuba at the territorial level? Why is there a relative scarcity of certain products at the territorial level? What is the justification for the unequal provision of food for the tourism sector and the population in general? Tourism, of course, is a sector in which Cuba competes directly with other destinations and the fact that tourists eat better than Cubans is only the problem. The problem also persists when tourists return to their places of origin and return to the abundance of their supermarkets. In relation to food consumption, however, tourists represent a very small part. In 2019, only one in 130 people in Cuba was a tourist. Tourists may have consumed large amounts of lobster, aged rum, and meat (although most of these items were consumed by Cuba's upper-middle and upper-middle classes) but this does not explain food shortages in other settings. When producers are allowed to sell in the tourism sector, they use these profits to secure their investments in the land and are able to maintain their production for sale on the local market. The Cuban case is usually treated with a certain exceptionalism, but I think it makes sense to think of this case as "another case" in the Global South. Chronic food shortages in many poor countries and the Cuban economy has declined to the point where it fits that description. In fact, if Cuba had not lost a significant part of the population due to desperate emigration, producing a diaspora that – surprisingly – could be located in the richest countries, the quantity and quality of food that Cuba could import would be much less. As in other countries, study access to food:  why is it available to some and not to others, why do some have to wait days in line while others can purchase the same products through of a credit card and three clicks requires inquiring about power relations and the dynamics that exist between capitalism and the State. Despite what we believe, Cuba is not very different compared to other countries in this regard. What are the similarities of the current situation of food crisis in Cuba with those presented during the Special Period? What position does the State assume in the way it handles food crises? As previously stated, today there is much more foreign currency in Cuba than 30 years ago, and there are more economic subsystems that process this (inequitable) flow of currency aimed at obtaining food and other goods, as well as profits, salaries and taxes. Similarly, there is now more food (and of better quality) than in the 1994-1996 period, despite the fact that import and export volumes have fallen since 2014 and that domestic production has largely stagnated since late 1990s. The state's position, however, has changed drastically. In the 1990s, the state focused mainly on the “paternal responsibilities” it had accumulated since the Soviet era, and to a certain extent allowed the population to fend for itself by tolerating what we might call “productive illegalities” that were committed in order to produce food: from raising pigs in bathtubs to the existence of a large black market that encouraged food production and distribution in the countryside. Currently, the State seeks to focus on two contradictory objectives at the same time: On the one hand, its paternal façade, which seeks to alleviate the greatest crises of scarcity and inequities through rations. On the other hand, a business machine - or, rather, corporate - that profits from scarcity by selling food at high prices - both "at the door" for commercial establishments, and in the "back room" for the black market. We have to remember that most of the imported food that appears on the black market (accentuating its absence in stores) also originates from state companies. Many observations can be made in relation to this complex situation. A novel element that struck me personally is the way in which the new online food sales platforms (military or private companies that sell food held in Cuban warehouses, or even food that is about to arrive imported from the United States) take advantage of the experience of scarcity and malnutrition in their advertising. The promotional emails I receive urge me to "Buy imported food and take my family's face [of finding it in Cuba]", "Don't miss the opportunity to buy imported food that now guarantees breakfasts, lunches, snacks and desserts in Cuba”, “Buy now and guarantee Christmas and New Year dinner for your loved ones, before it is too late” and so on – this is a new, and I think controversial, dimension of how the crisis is unfolding and the way in which the State manages it. I assume this controversy will continue to be a crucial point of political contention for years to come: the way the post-socialist state justifies the costs of maintaining powerful economic monopolies – in the public interest – if it uses them for its own benefit. , mixing social objectives with corporate profits. Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE

En Cuba no hay hambre… al menos, es lo que se puede inferir del mapa de hambre desarrollado por el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA) para monitorear la seguridad alimentaria a nivel global... A paperless event to “celebrate” For: Serge Angel January 11, 2022 00:00 / 04:33 AND AND n a note published by the Ministry of Domestic Trade (Mincin) on December 18, it was announced that, as a result of the delays in the importation of the raw material for the preparation of the supply books for the year 2022, the available lines of the month of January and February of the notebooks of the year 2021. And although the announcement is for the population of the western and central provinces, it is eloquent in the face of what the year 2022 will be in terms of supply; something paradoxical if one takes into account that next March 12 marks the 60th anniversary of the enactment of Law 1015 of 1962, which gave rise to the creation of the "Supply Control Book" . It is difficult to speak of a celebration when in reality what is commemorated is not the supply of the population, but its control, that is, the exact moment in which, through a provision of the Council of Ministers, the National Board for the Distribution of of Food and this, making use of its powers, established the first food regulation measures for Cubans, sentencing what would be the following years of rationing. Under the euphemism of "year of planning" (year 1962) -and the fact is that the regime lives on euphemisms that are in no way compatible with reality- the National Board for the distribution of food announced at its first meeting on March 13 of 1962, what would be the rationed products and what would be the procedure for the acquisition of these through the passbook. What began as a measure to "improve the distribution of supplies" ended up becoming a state policy that through food controls the population in the most intimate. The regime got into each of the homes and abruptly came to control what each family could eat and the products with which they could clean themselves. In the blink of an eye, the board's provisions established measures for the entire country, for 26 cities and for Greater Havana (see image 1. Distribution of rationed items). It was not a minor justified decision in the shortage of those who could buy compared to those who were marginalized, it was a deliberate measure to register each person residing on the island through a person who would act as "head of the family" and who would register all the members of the family nucleus so that the paterfamilias "Revolutionary State" could "guarantee supply." In reality, there was no profit, what there was was a tremendous loss, not only had the freedom to buy been lost -of those who could and those who couldn't-, but also lost the freedom of not being controlled by an ideological apparatus such as the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR). Surveillance body that from that moment acquired teeth and increased its ability to watch the neighbors, both those committed to the Revolution, as well as those "confused" or counterrevolutionaries (see image 2. How to obtain the notebook). The lack of paper for the preparation of notebooks is nothing more than a metaphor for the control to which the people are subjected. Without many alternatives, families will have to write down in the months of January and February 2021 what they will consume at the beginning of the year, hoping that The Mincin keeps its word and on January 30 delivers the 2022 notebooks so that everything returns to the "abnormality" in which it has lived since 1962. Read all of Sergio Angel's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Aunque se intenta recobrar socialmente la idea de que la Navidad es una época de alegría y celebración, en Cuba esta fecha también puede ser un período de mucho estrés debido al desabastecimiento... The crisis does not distinguish species For: Nastassja Rojas January 25, 2022 It is a titanic task, considering that the needs and suffering are innumerable. And we are not only talking about crises sustained over time, such as those that occur in contexts with depressed economies such as the misnamed "Special Period in times of war" in Cuba in the 1990s, but also health crises with economic and social impacts such as the COVID-19 in the year 2020 in almost every country in the world. But crises are not experienced the same in all countries and even more so if one takes into account that the pandemic arrived in contexts where structural difficulties were already being experienced, in such a way that a "crisis within the crisis" was experienced. A fact that led to truly dramatic situations for the population of countries like Cuba, which, forced by circumstances, had to ration food, even more than what they had been rationing for years, but what about other species? especially in a context of isolation in which they become emotional support and main company. And it is that in contexts where the scarcity of products is common, human beings are not the only ones who suffer the ravages of the lack of food and medicines, but other sentient beings also live this situation in a really dramatic way. If the animals in the midst of crises ate the leftovers from the house; what are they going to eat when there are no leftovers and when food is limited even for humans. Certainly, their place goes into the background and therefore their food and health situation is even more critical. Even so, in the midst of the difficulties in which Cuba lives, there are many who assume these other species as members of the family, and therefore seek to feed them at the expense of their own well-being. But when the situation reaches extremes, some find it necessary to let them go out to look for their food or to abandon them to reduce the mouths of the house, which exposes them to being collected by the State and that in accordance with the provisions for "control of street populations" can be sacrificed. In addition to this, several cases have been documented about the sacrifice of animals or their use for rituals, so this outing, in addition to being critical, is dramatic. This is how animal supporters in Cuba have understood it, who have faced the inaction of the regime and the recalcitrant positions of an anachronistic party, which privileges the interests of the political class and fails to identify true progressivism in the defense of the rights of animals and equality of species. The surreptitious approval of the Animal Welfare Decree-Law published by the Council of State on April 10, 2021 is not enough, if one takes into account that the advances continue to maintain the businesses of the party bosses and justice is selective with those who do not agree with the regime. Although fines are established there "for animal welfare violations", animal activists have stated that State security has poisoned their animals as an inhuman action of reprimand and no person has received any type of sanction, in addition, the Law itself is insufficient because it excludes the rites associated with the cultural heritage of Cuba from what is punishable within violence against animals. In this sense, a context of crisis in which the Law is selective and fails to authentically guarantee the rights of all species, their lack of protection is total and their vulnerability grows with the needs of the population. It is difficult to blame or point a finger at a family for not feeding their animals, while children or older adults must also suffer from serious limitations and often have to skip meals to be able to eat. Here the responsibility lies with an indolent regimen that puts a choice between the members of a family, regardless of species, who should be fed. P P prioritize problems and the population in the midst of crises Read all the columns of Nastassja Rojas in Food Monitor Program HERE

Mientras algunas zonas logran estar medianamente abastecidas, hay otras que solo se abastecen una vez por mes. A causa de este fenómeno da lugar al crecimiento desmedido de la especulación, se multiplican los precios de los productos que escasean hasta 10 veces... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Hace poco más de un mes la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO) junto con el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA) presentaron su informe “Puntos críticos de hambre... A paperless event to “celebrate” For: Serge Angel January 11, 2022 00:00 / 05:14 (Mincin) on December 18, it was announced that, as a result of the delays in the importation of the raw material for the preparation of the supply books for the year 2022, the available lines of the month of January and February of the notebooks of the year 2021. And although the announcement is for the population of the western and central provinces, it is eloquent in the face of what the year 2022 will be in terms of supply; something paradoxical if one takes into account that next March 12 marks the 60th anniversary of the enactment of Law 1015 of 1962, which gave rise to the creation of the "Supply Control Book" . It is difficult to speak of a celebration when in reality what is commemorated is not the supply of the population, but its control, that is, the exact moment in which, through a provision of the Council of Ministers, the National Board for the Distribution of of Food and this, making use of its powers, established the first food regulation measures for Cubans, sentencing what would be the following years of rationing. Under the euphemism of "year of planning" (year 1962) -and the fact is that the regime lives on euphemisms that are in no way compatible with reality- the National Board for the distribution of food announced at its first meeting on March 13 of 1962, what would be the rationed products and what would be the procedure for the acquisition of these through the passbook. What began as a measure to "improve the distribution of supplies" ended up becoming a state policy that through food controls the population in the most intimate. The regime got into each of the homes and abruptly came to control what each family could eat and the products with which they could clean themselves. In the blink of an eye, the board's provisions established measures for the entire country, for 26 cities and for Greater Havana (see image 1. Distribution of rationed items). It was not a minor justified decision in the shortage of those who could buy compared to those who were marginalized, it was a deliberate measure to register each person residing on the island through a person who would act as "head of the family" and who would register all the members of the family nucleus so that the paterfamilias "Revolutionary State" could "guarantee supply." In reality, there was no profit, what there was was a tremendous loss, not only had the freedom to buy been lost -of those who could and those who couldn't-, but also lost the freedom of not being controlled by an ideological apparatus such as the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR). Surveillance body that from that moment acquired teeth and increased its ability to watch the neighbors, both those committed to the Revolution, as well as those "confused" or counterrevolutionaries (see image 2. How to obtain the notebook). The lack of paper for the preparation of notebooks is nothing more than a metaphor for the control to which the people are subjected. Without many alternatives, families will have to write down in the months of January and February 2021 what they will consume at the beginning of the year, hoping that The Mincin keeps its word and on January 30 delivers the 2022 notebooks so that everything returns to the "abnormality" in which it has lived since 1962. AND AND n a note published by the Ministry of Domestic Trade Read all of Sergio Angel's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

The crisis does not distinguish species For: Nastassja Rojas January 25, 2022 00:00 / 04:28 It is a titanic task, considering that the needs and suffering are innumerable. And we are not only talking about crises sustained over time, such as those that occur in contexts with depressed economies such as the misnamed "Special Period in times of war" in Cuba in the 1990s, but also health crises with economic and social impacts such as the COVID-19 in the year 2020 in almost every country in the world. But crises are not experienced the same in all countries and even more so if one takes into account that the pandemic arrived in contexts where structural difficulties were already being experienced, in such a way that a "crisis within the crisis" was experienced. A fact that led to truly dramatic situations for the population of countries like Cuba, which, forced by circumstances, had to ration food, even more than what they had been rationing for years, but what about other species? especially in a context of isolation in which they become emotional support and main company. And it is that in contexts where the scarcity of products is common, human beings are not the only ones who suffer the ravages of the lack of food and medicines, but other sentient beings also live this situation in a really dramatic way. If the animals in the midst of crises ate the leftovers from the house; what are they going to eat when there are no leftovers and when food is limited even for humans. Certainly, their place goes into the background and therefore their food and health situation is even more critical. Even so, in the midst of the difficulties in which Cuba lives, there are many who assume these other species as members of the family, and therefore seek to feed them at the expense of their own well-being. But when the situation reaches extremes, some find it necessary to let them go out to look for their food or to abandon them to reduce the mouths of the house, which exposes them to being collected by the State and that in accordance with the provisions for "control of street populations" can be sacrificed. In addition to this, several cases have been documented about the sacrifice of animals or their use for rituals, so this outing, in addition to being critical, is dramatic. This is how animal supporters in Cuba have understood it, who have faced the inaction of the regime and the recalcitrant positions of an anachronistic party, which privileges the interests of the political class and fails to identify true progressivism in the defense of the rights of animals and equality of species. The surreptitious approval of the Animal Welfare Decree-Law published by the Council of State on April 10, 2021 is not enough, if one takes into account that the advances continue to maintain the businesses of the party bosses and justice is selective with those who do not agree with the regime. Although fines are established there "for animal welfare violations", animal activists have stated that State security has poisoned their animals as an inhuman action of reprimand and no person has received any type of sanction, in addition, the Law itself is insufficient because it excludes the rites associated with the cultural heritage of Cuba from what is punishable within violence against animals. In this sense, a context of crisis in which the Law is selective and fails to authentically guarantee the rights of all species, their lack of protection is total and their vulnerability grows with the needs of the population. It is difficult to blame or point a finger at a family for not feeding their animals, while children or older adults must also suffer from serious limitations and often have to skip meals to be able to eat. Here the responsibility lies with an indolent regimen that puts a choice between the members of a family, regardless of species, who should be fed. P P prioritize problems and the population in the midst of crises Read all the columns of Nastassja Rojas in Food Monitor Program HERE

Ante la compleja situación alimentaria y sociopolítica que atraviesa el país, a nivel local se han implementado una serie de medidas de carácter especial, que comprenden la micro asignación de recursos como mecanismo de control y contención del descontento social... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme Venta de pollo Venta de pollo 1/1 Faced with the possibility of another social outbreak, the government response has been the surgical allocation of available food resources, in places with a history of "civil disobedience" that are prone to anti-government protests or riots resulting from citizen discontent and frustration. . The most "problematic" communities are "beneficiaries" of this preventive policy of differentiated food distribution in what constitutes not only an act of administrative redistribution but also a kind of propaganda maneuver carefully managed by municipal and provincial authorities. The products that are usually offered in these places with relative frequency (mostly weekends) are: yogurt, hash, chicken, bologna, hot dogs, some agricultural products and eggs. These products are sold at relatively affordable prices and in a moderate amount, sometimes shifts are given to avoid crowds and they are distributed by nucleus (administrative unit included in the ration card, equivalent to a family). In the planning of this allocation system, administrative authorities, local producer entities, commercial and gastronomy units and a few select private producers who have special contracts with the State and supply agricultural products and some agricultural derivatives, depending on the case, participate. Venta de perro caliente diferenciado Venta de perro caliente diferenciado 1/1 The citizens of these communities perceive these allocations as "very beneficial" for their family support, and generally understand the political nature of this differentiated management system, but as some have told us "you have to take advantage of what appears." Although, in all cases, it is true that these communities are also the least favored in terms of purchasing power and the availability of family economic resources to sustain themselves adequately, it is evident that the measure responds more to political motivations than to market logic or to some kind of territorial economic planning. One of the ways we have to confirm this certainty is that the State has placed special emphasis on the distribution of food in these places on significant dates or on the eve of important political events for the territory, such as visits by state government authorities, celebrations , political events or delicate moments at the national level, product of social discontent and the economic crisis. The practice of using food as a social support mechanism is not new in the Cuban system, but given the current situation of famine that citizens are going through, inflation and the lack of prospects for improvement in the short or medium term, this mechanism it constitutes a survival maneuver that actually contributes to prolonging the structural crisis from which collectivism will not be able to emerge unscathed. Within the marginalized communities, the problem of hunger is tangible in the streets and the few gastronomic establishments that remain open only have products on offer that are in low demand and that the population does not consume. It is unknown if this micro-assignment program is here to stay or if it is just a temporary measure given the complexity of the situation at the moment. Although it is not possible to allude to the "complicity" of the population with this type of measures, since in reality many do need these allowances to get through the month, I think it is pertinent to say that consumers will continue to participate in these administratively coordinated strategies of predictably as long as they do not have other stable sources of supplies that contribute to meeting their food demands. Economic uncertainty is also a mechanism of psychological and political coercion, as long as the consumer-citizen remains in a state of legal and social defenselessness, very little can be done to change this reality. Venta de huevo diferenciado Venta de huevo diferenciado 1/1 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

El trabajo no ha sido fácil, en los últimos años escasean los bancos de posturas donde conseguir las muestras que desea injertar. La crisis migratoria y los casi nulos incentivos para el cultivo entre los jóvenes ha dejado muchos viveros en desuso... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme 1/1 The article only came to make "official" a reality that  was already evident at the popular level, months ago self-employed workers have had difficulty accessing the purchase of wheat flour, for what bread and other derivatives  have become luxury products.  One of the main issues aired in street debates is the difficulty of mothers to provide their children  at least two loaves a day, one at breakfast  and another at snack time, an equation that is complicated for those who have more than one child at school age.  These  families, who usually supplemented the scarce supply of standardized bread, with what they could purchase through the network of state or private bakeries, have been limited  by the price increase. Today a bag of eight or ten loaves oscillates  between 180 and 350 cups without the supply remaining stable. Although the price in state bakeries is lower, the stability of the product is subject to scheduled power cuts and the supply of flour. In addition, the lines to buy this product   can reach up to five hours, an unthinkable time for people who have to comply with work hours. Teresa is an 80-year-old retiree, lives alone and ensures that her diet basically consists of bread and milk, two products that are currently difficult to access. Until recently, he bought bread at the bakery near his home, but  according to him, the queues have become  unbearable and some end up with the intervention of the police due to to violent fights. On some occasions, he waited for the resellers and bought the same bread for a slightly higher price, still affordable to his checkbook, however, with the shortages of the last few days and the inspectors' stalking, the price has skyrocketed and now he barely survives with the bread from the cellar. 1/1 One loaf a day was the minimum food that low-income people on the island could aspire to. It was also the rationality to which each member of the family nucleus “had the right”, which is popularly “played by the winery”. Since the monetary rearrangement policy, regulated bread ceased to be a product subsidized by the State and its price increased ten times, without this implying an improvement in quality. This condition has placed a wide range of population in greater vulnerability, increasingly deprived of economic resources. According to figures  revealed in the 2021 Statistical Yearbook, published  by the National Statistics Office  the number of beneficiaries and information (ONEI) of social assistance shot up in 2021 by 111% [two] , which means that more Cubans have joined the list of extreme poverty and completely depend on the State to survive.  This can be verified  when walking the streets of Havana , where the number of people begging in the doorways or "diving" in the garbage tanks in search of food and other necessary supplies is increasing. 1/1 The repeated power cuts that occur throughout the country show other damage caused by this energy crisis. Some time ago, the quality of the food that arrives at state outlets, smaller than normal, acidic or simply  absent, has further diminished. Although the issue is not new, the fuel crisis also affects the transfer to the points of sale, an action that is often carried out without the minimum hygienic-sanitary conditions, so the bread is transferred and stored in dirty spaces, exposed to insects. and humidity.    Contrasted with all this is the existence of a functional market that gains more space in the lives of those with relatives abroad. In online mode and offering a wide range of products that are scarce in the rest of the freely convertible currency (MLC) stores or in the almost extinct stores in Cuban pesos (CUP), there are hypermarkets such asSupermarket23 eitherMallHavana , where they offer a way to acquire quality bread, in the variety that the customer wants and without quantity limitations. Accessing these products on a regular basis is unthinkable for ordinary Cubans, however some self-employed workers, owners of paladares, restaurants or rental houses report that on occasions they have been forced to access this market in search of bread. as the only alternative to scarcity and to avoid having to close their businesses permanently. 1/1 Mientras labora es interrumpido sin descanso, a veces por los niños que vienen en búsqueda de una guayaba o chirimoya, un campesino que quiere contratarlo para injertar café u otras plantas , o bien por alguien que necesita un pepino o tomate para acompañar la comida. Con 73 años de edad, antecedentes de hipertensión arterial y diabetes, se incluye en el grupo poblacional de personas vulnerables. Por eso asegura que su mayor inversión sea un huerto donde plantó cúrcuma, jengibre, hierbabuena y una colmena de abejas que instaló en el tronco de una mata de naranja. Con estos productos suple muchas veces la escasez de medicamentos para aliviar gripes, resfriados y otras dolencias inmediatas. Confiesa que las plantas le han salvado la vida, encuetra en ellas su lugar de paz. Se nota en el amor que le pone a cada uno de los trabajos que realiza. Cada injerto se convierte en una especie de hijo que acompaña hasta el momento en que recoge su cosecha. Siempre velando que todo esté bien, le habla como si el árbol le entendiera y este responde dándole aquello que necesita. 1/2 Los injertos son una manera simple de acortar los ciclos de producción de algunas frutas y lograr variedades que de otra manera no se darían en el país. Esta habilidad se hace particularmente necesaria en un tiempos donde la comida y los insumos para producirla escasean notablemente. Aunque la práctica es asociada comunmente a las zonas rurales, las pequeñas ciudades también comienzan a incursionar en este proceso, pues el injerto puede intervenir en el proceso de crecimiento de la planta y esto ayuda cuando el espacio para cosechar es limitado. Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

El pasado 28 de octubre, la Ley de Soberanía Alimentaria y Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional (SSAN) de Cuba entró en vigor... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

En los últimos meses se ha discutido el Proyecto de Ley de Soberanía Alimentaria y Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional en Cuba... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 00:00 / 07:39 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

El derecho a la alimentación es inseparable de la justicia social, y que la alimentación de las personas es uno de los objetivos primarios de cualquier gobierno; y de hecho, parte de los planes de soberanía nacional. The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Mientras que el gobierno venezolano enviaba 300 mil bolsas de alimentos como parte de la ayuda humanitaria por los estragos del Huracán Ian a Cuba, en Venezuela se reportaban más de 30 muertos y miles de damnificados por inundaciones y deslaves... The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 precariousness for the Cuban population. For December 31 of last year, the government distributed rum and cigarettes to the entire population, assuming that rum and cigarettes would alleviate the situation of discontent. The government did not take into account that an important part of the population, not only children and pregnant mothers, does not consume rum or cigarettes, either because they are not part of their consumption habits, or simply because the products are of poor quality. . These state courtesies, obtained in the warehouse through the Booklet, were resold at more than five times the value established by the regime. Last week, independent media denounced the fines imposed on citizens who wanted to resell products that they did not consume in order to complement a fragile basic basket, lacking eggs and milk, but full of cigarettes and poor quality rum. The year 2021 will be remembered as one of the most difficult for Cuban citizens in terms of consumption, after the Special Period. Tourism income and remittances were strongly affected by the tightening of some of the embargo measures, of the health measures to mitigate the pandemic and, above all, by the spectacular failure of the regime's administrative management, which since the implementation of the Ordering Task at the beginning of that year, where in addition to not promoting domestic production, unifying the Cuban peso with the CUC, promoting the MLC and ignoring the situation of the international market, it was unable to meet the import quota and implemented sufficient measures to maintain or increase internal production. Cuba's economic crisis and the scarcity of goods is largely due to this implementation, which also had the misfortune of coinciding with the rise in international prices of consumer goods and a spiral of prices that shot up and moved away out of reach many foods that were obtained in foreign currency. For the sample, a button: the levels of fishing -affirmed government officials- would not return to those of three decades ago . The fishing laws of 1996 and the most recent of 2020 still do not have the necessary tools to be able to bring fish to the tables of Cubans. How is it possible that on an island, which has not only the sea but also important river sources, it is not easy to procure fish? How is it explained that there is an overexploitation of fishing resources on the island, but there is a shortage of this food? According to official sources, the annual per capita consumption of fish was 16 kg; today it barely reaches 3.8 kg. In short, following official data, each person in Cuba eats about 300 grams of fish per month. This year's forecast is no better than 2021: Going into 2022, essential foods continue to be in short supply and the prices of inputs such as beef, pork, rice, milk, butter and beans are rising. The concern among the population is widespread: some people seek solutions through the rituals of "feeding the land" of the Santeros, while others prepare social mobilizations that echo the cries of "we are hungry" and "freedom" of the 11J demonstrations. Added to this is the massive migration of many of the political dissidents who have been forced to leave the country due to the pressures to which the political regime has subjected them. The panorama of economic crisis in Cuba and the consequent food crisis will be one of the greatest challenges to be faced for this year. The 13% drop in the Gross Domestic Product during 2020 and 2021, as well as the reduction in tourism issues, will be important burdens that will make a dent in the food supply. For now, ordinary Cubans will continue to have to trade rum and cigarettes for basic necessities. AND AND he year 2021 has ended with a situation of extreme Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE