Resultados de la búsqueda

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 / 09:16 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

Encuentra entrevistas semi-estructuras sobre las experiencias alimentarias de los ciudadanos cubanos. Para más información: contacto@cuido60.com · Facebook · Twitter · Instagram. Interviews Let's talk about Food Safety A related issue is that if policy concern macro economics  y commercial is for the poor, so a policy that focuses on corn, for example, does not address the central issue. By: Eugenio Diaz Bonilla Let's talk about Food Safety A related issue is that if policy concern macro economics  y commercial is for the poor, so a policy that focuses on corn, for example, does not address the central issue. By: Eugenio Diaz Bonilla Food insecurity as domination  FAO officials, very close to the Cuban government, have declared that Cuba is an example in the area of food security and this is due to a subsidized ration book that does not cover the needs of the citizens. By: Marlene Azor The myth of food security in Cuba For Cuba, the FAO was more of an instrument of propaganda and influence abroad, while technical interventions, or in the worst case, advice on sectoral policies, was not well seen. By: Theodor Friedrich

Realizamos una encuesta anual para monitorear la seguridad alimentaria en Cuba Encuesta de inseguridad alimentaria 2022 2023 2024 2025

Los revendedores y el resto del mercado negro, presumen de un abastecimiento que burla al mercado estatal y no imponen ningún tipo de regulación de compra, con este pretexto imponen precios desorbitantes que no tiene control ni competencia... 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 Igualmente, las carnicerías, charcuterías, panaderías, dulcerías entre otros establecimientos particulares que son abastecidos con productos nacionales, y que también venden en pesos cubanos, se han convertido en lujos para los bolsillos de la mayoría de la población isleña. Los precios de la carne, el pescado, los lácteos, panes y galletas, dulces y otras producciones de pequeñas empresas y fincas pecuarias particulares, se ha vuelto una opción pagable solo para personas que manejan monedas extranjeras o ganan en MLC. A pesar de que estos productos son ofertados en pesos cubanos, sus valores son referentes al cambio que maneje el mercado informal sobre el dólar americano, el euro y el MLC, de forma tal que el acceso a productos de calidad y con cierta variedad queda fuera del alcance del sector cuya referencia de ganancia sea el peso cubano. 1/1 En conclusión, el desabastecimiento de la red estatal de venta alimentos, la racionalización de compra por cantidad y frecuencia, y la baja calidad de los productos que oferta, convierte al mercado negro, a los revendedores y a la red particular de producción en la única opción segura, variada y de calidad para la copra de alimentos de la población cubana. Esta red, que se rige por los valores oscilantes del USD en el mercado informal de monedas cubano y la taza reconocida por el gobierno, minimiza los salarios en pesos cubanos que el Estado cubano establece como “justos” a partir de los precios de sus ofertas fantasma en las tiendas en pesos. La red privada de venta de alimentos, en toda su variedad de naturalezas, devela la injusta y turbia gestión gubernamental de los recursos alimenticios que dispone. Mientras la escala salarial se define por ofertas que el Estado no es capaz de mantener, el mercad privado y el mercado en MLC es abastecido con variados productos alejados del alcance de los salarios en pesos cubanos, reforzando la inaccesibilidad de la población cubana a una alimentación regular, segura y sana. 1/1 [1] http://www.cubadebate.cu/especiales/2022/10/26/el-pan-nuestro-ii-produccion-de-harina-en-molinos-cubanos-mercado-del-trigo-financiacion-y-factor- human/ [two] http://www.onei.gob.cu/node/18491 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Manténgase informado con los últimos artículos académicos publicados por Food Monitor Program ARTÍCULOS A C A D É M I C O S Ver más> Impact of the Multifactorial Crisis on Food Security, Care, and Quality of Life of Older People in Cuba Por: Claudia Gonzále z - Elaine Acosto En: Oxford Academy

Ante la falta de datos confiables sobre el hambre en Cuba y la poca objetividad de los medios oficiales, Food Monitor Program selecciona alimentos básicos en la dieta cubana para analizar su comportamiento en el mercado, su calidad y frecuencia en la distribución, en diferentes provincias del país. EL PRECIO DE COMER EN CUBA Food Monitor Program registra el comportamiento de alimentos básicos y sus formas de adquisición a lo largo de la Isla. En los últimos dos años el agravamiento en el acceso a los alimentos, la inflación monetaria y la especulación sobre productos de primera necesidad se han profundizado. Ante la falta de datos confiables sobre el hambre en Cuba y la poca objetividad de los medios oficiales, Food Monitor Program selecciona alimentos básicos en la dieta cubana para analizar su comportamiento en el mercado, su calidad y frecuencia en la distribución, en diferentes provincias del país. * Los precios corresponden al periodo mayo-junio 2023 , mientras el cambio informal se encontraba en 1 dólar = 210 CUP La leche es uno de esos alimentos que siempre ha estado bajo la tutela paternalista del Estado en Cuba. Priorizada para enfermos, ancianos y niños, ha sido objeto durante años de subsidio. Sin embargo, el impago del gobierno ha afectado la capacidad de garantizar la canasta báscia y de este modo la escasez de leche ha alcanzado un punto crítico llevando a las autoridades a recortar de las dietas este producto dejando a muchos cubanos en mayor condiciones de vulnerabilidad. Sin embargo, diferentes presentaciones de leche concentrada en polvo han emigrado a mercados en divisas y plataformas online evidenciando el desinterés político hacia los más necesitados. Similar a la carne de cerdo, los frijoles son una fuente de proteínas y carbohidratos muy presentes en la dieta cubana. Platos como el congrí, el arroz moro, o el potaje no han faltado en la mesa de los cubanos. La escalada sostenida de los precios de la legumbre, indispensable dentro de la tradición culinaria caribeña, ha obligado a muchos hogares a prescindir de este alimento. Actualmente las familias cubanas no pueden permitirse comprar los granos que entran mayormente importados al país dada la inflación y la pérdida de nivel adquisitivo. Históricamente, la carne de cerdo ha representado el alimento de las celebraciones de los campos cubanos . El lechón asado, preparado en cualquiera de las múltiples variantes regionales de la Isla es una tradición culinaria que ha pasado de generación en generación y plato principal en festejos de Año Nuevo. La falta de producción nacional provocada por la crisis y por el férreo control del Estado sobre las estructuras productivas, así como la suspensión de pienso importado ha derrumbado la producción porcina. El acceso a la carne de cerdo se ha hecho tan escabroso que muchas familias improvisan con sustitutos en las fechas señaladas, lo que marca una deconstrucción de la identidad culinaria cubana. El café no solo es un producto alimenticio para la sociedad cubana, es sobre todo, una marca de identidad que ha acompañado históricamente diferentes prácticas socioculturales. El café es el principal ingrediente en el desayuno y tradicionalmente fue un producto de fácil acceso para los menos favorecidos. La pésima gestión de los recursos agrícolas ha llevado a la producción del café a mínimos desconocidos por la población. Las demoras en la venta del producto dentro de la canasta básica rompen record de retraso, llegando a cuatro meses y más. Como forma de sobrevivencia los cubanos han comenzado a sustituirlo por infusiones caseras. Después del huevo, el pollo es la segunda fuente de proteína más “frecuente” en la mesa familiar, lo que lo convierte en un alimento indispensable en la dieta de la población local, al menos desde que la carne de cerdo ha desaparecido paulatinamente. El mercado negro ha asumido una mayor cuota de la demanda. El alza de los precios, sumado al progresivo proceso de devaluación del peso cubano, ha repercutido negativamente en los núcleos familiares con menor poder adquisitivo, los cuales han tenido que sustituir el producto por fuentes protéicas de menor calidad y densidad calórica. El huevo es tal vez la fuente de proteína más utilizada en Cuba por su versatilidad, precio y disponibilidad ; sin embargo en estos momentos resulta un alimento al que la mayoría de los cubanos no puede acceder. El huevo ha sustituido históricamente en Cuba a la carne de cerdo, el pollo, la carne de res o el pescado, ya que su obtención en la red de distribución estatal era relativamente fácil hasta hace algunos años. Quien no podía pagar el precio de las carnes o embutidos, lo utilizaba como alimento sustituto , a veces muy a pesar del gusto personal. En estos momentos el huevo se ha vuelto tan escaso e inaccesible como la carne de cerdo o el pescado. Mientras, las producciones locales son insuficientes y los sistemas de distribución no pueden cubrir la demanda ni siquiera para la alimentación semanal, que es como el cubano corriente planifica su ciclo de consumo familiar, el cual se ha visto drásticamente deprimido en los primeros meses del 2023. El arroz es el cereal que más se consume en Cuba. Forma parte de la dieta cotidiana del cubano que diseña dos veces al día sus comidas en base a la disponibilidad de este alimento. Arroz blanco, arroz congris, moros y cristianos, arroz amarillo, arroz con leche, arroz imperial, arroz frito, caldos de arroz y paellas entre otros platillos, son las formas de cocción más comunes del grano en el país desde tiempos inmemoriales, variando según la capacidad de acceso de cada familia. Desde el 2023 el déficit de arroz provoca serios problemas de nutrición en la población, sobre todo entre los cubanos de menor poder adquisitivo, quienes han tenido que sustituir el grano por alimentos menos demandados o recomendados. En la siguiente diapositiva se constata los fallos del oficialista Programa Integral del Arroz , del Ministerio de la Agricultura, no alcanza de lejos los niveles estipulados de producción y distribución. La escases de aceites y grasas en la cocina cubana se ha vuelto crónica desde hace algunos años. El mercado negro del aceite ha florecido en medio de la crisis de alimentos trayendo consigo una larga cadena de ilegalidades, corrupción administrativa y desvíos de recursos. Siendo el aceite de girasol el más empleado por la población para la elaboración de platos de la dieta tradicional, su ausencia en la cadena de suministros genera un hueco total de otros aceites vegetales y mantecas de origen animal, productos inaccesibles a la mayoría de los consumidores por motivos de precio y disponibilidad. El pan es el producto principal y necesario no solamente en el desayuno cubano, sino en las meriendas escolares y, en los últimos meses, como sustituto a la ausencia reiterada de arroz, para almuerzos o cenas. El abasto de pan normado se encuentra profundamente inestable en el país y los problemas de corrupción asociados a la cadena de suministros en general se han profundizado. Se muestra un progresivo deterioro de la industria panadera local que se inscribe en la crisis sistémica que vive el país. Actualmente, por la escasez de harina de trigo, no existe alternativa que pueda sustituir el consumo de pan en los hogares cubanos. El gobierno ha introducido de forma variable la harina de maíz, de calabaza y de boniato para la elaboración de este producto sin buena recepción por parte de la población.

Como lo anota la investigadora Claudia González, en su columna de la semana pasada, la situación de Cuba no solo es un vertiginoso... 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 00:00 / 05:12 Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

Pero la memoria alimentaria representa mucho más que nuestras evocaciones inmediatas. Puede explicar el devenir de un país, los diversos comportamientos de su sociedad... From “material stimulus” to “food blackmail” For: claudia gonzalez January 18, 2022 D D ince the 1960s there has been discussion in Cuba about the relevance of labor stimulation. Initially, it was committed to the validity within Marxism, of accounting autonomy, self-financing and the system of material incentives. A staunch critic of this trend was Ernesto Guevara, who strongly discouraged the use of methods that he considered inherited from the past. Instead, Guevara promoted moral encouragement, the mere satisfaction of duty fulfilled before the construction of Socialism. The ethical value of the stimulus was circumscribed in the rigorous and trench atmosphere, which called for exemplary production, for the sake of "decisive effort". After the failure of the Ten Million Zafra, however, the Soviet system was adopted, which already used binding calculations between workers' remuneration and the quantity and quality of their work . First it was the delivery of Soviet-made household appliances (TVs, fans, irons), then Chinese (like bicycles in the 1990s). From the trade with the ALBA governments and, above all, from the export of medical, technical and sports services, the labor stimulus consisted of a percent of what the workplace earned in foreign currency. These incentives were not granted to all positions, but depended on the capacities of each ministry. In this way, they had more presence in those self-funded centers that generated profits (from the production or export of products and services), as well as in "strategic" centers linked to the upper echelons of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Government. In recent years, however, we have seen the gradual disappearance of material products, for others of food, consisting of chicken boxes, sausages, eggs or cooking oil, among other basic consumer products. Food is nowadays the most common stimuli to reward the work of the state worker, especially among medical, technical, sports personnel, etc. For example, Cuban athletes who received decorations at the Pan American qualifying event, held in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2021, were received in Cuba by representatives of the local government, with food combos that included cakes, cooking oil, sausages and vegetables. . If the stimuli are actions to promote the potential of the individual, food deliveries in Cuba have been the slow transition towards the impoverishment of this social mechanism, to the point of being almost a government survival device. The food has happened like this, to try to fit a salary system that does not fulfill the role that it responds to; Due to the real value of its content, it would be, perhaps, closer to the conception of the Guevarian moral stimulus. So, if the stimuli are intended to raise the worker's self-esteem, it is unfortunate that basic consumer products are proposed as such, and are even desired by their recipients. At a time of chronic shortages, the partial state delivery of food also creates an important social differentiation for citizens who are prevented from this access. The government is aware of the existing food insecurity, and part of this to control and condition militancy in key sectors "stimulating" with products that should be common, daily to all its citizens. 1 00:00 / 08:12 Read all the columns of Claudia González in Food Monitor Program HERE

"I've only had access to a combo once from abroad, for a donation through a friend." It's not enough for me, it's really not enough for me Yaima Reyes, 37, lives with her husband and two girls minors. Both adults, unemployed and with a ninth grade of schooling, reside in an isolated town in the province of Pinar del Río. Who in your family usually does the shopping at the grocery store? I generally make purchases at the grocery store, although there is no problem that my husband sometimes does them too, but hey, I am always the most present in the home. I am a housewife, my husband works the land, to earn money he climbs palm trees, and I work... I don't know what to call it, I take care of, I don't know... a piece of land, where you have to maintain it, take care of the house, clean the house , veneer the patios. How do you access food and in what percentage? (grocery markets, organic farms and fairs, black market, shipment of combos from abroad, purchase in MLC stores, labor incentives, others) There are no markets nearby, I would have to go to La Palma, generally I almost never go out. I can go several months without leaving this place where I live. Here it is not customary to grow vegetables, that is, nobody sells them. My husband plants rice and beans, sometimes some food from a neighbor who gives it to me, because they know that I and my girls like it, but well, my husband does not usually plant food so far, he has only planted rice and beans . I have only had access to a combo once from abroad, for a donation through a friend. In stores in MLC, in all this time I have never had the opportunity to buy anything. And black market, it could be said that some things like oil, guava bars, ham on some occasions... that has been what I have bought the most. Approximately how much do you spend in a month to guarantee your family's diet? How much does it represent of your income? The expenditure of money is according to my income, economically, I have months that I spend more money. Right now I would not be able to tell you exactly how much the expense is because I have never stopped to have an accounting, and say "I spent on this or that" simply, I put the money in my wallet and I take it as needed. My husband also gives me income that he makes, and I add it to mine. Yes, I could tell you that every month is not the same, there are months that my income may be greater and I have a greater consumption. How many hours do you spend searching for and buying these foods? As for the time to spend buying something or looking for it, it is not much. I live very close to the warehouse, it depends on when I get to the queue, where I should be in the queue: many times I have the first places, other times in the middle, other times last; so, I don't think it's more than 1 hour, it's not something that is daily either. What subsidized products from the supply book do you consume most frequently? Do you leave any without removing in the month? Well, I consume in my house all the products that come to the village, I have never left any without taking out, because really at some point they are all necessary….. they are all necessary because we do not have easy access to acquire these things, so solve a problem at a given time. Well, I consume in my house all the products that come to the village, I have never left any without taking out, because really at some point they are all necessary... How many days of the month would you say that the basic products of the notebook are enough for the family? Well, the rice, which is the largest quantity, could last an average of up to 15 days, generally the daily consumption of rice in my house represents about 3 pounds of rice, between lunch and dinner. And since there are 28 pounds of rice, approximately 14-15 days. The other things, well, it depends, because they are small amounts, rice and sugar are the largest, sugar is 16 pounds, it's not enough, it really isn't enough. Do you buy other “controlled”, “regulated” or “regulated” products by this system? In this time of Covid we receive: chicken, detergent and oil on some occasions, something that is not common, because generally all this is acquired through the purchase in stores of currency collectors, but well, for a problem that…. let's say that of the government system, to prevent people from trafficking too much and so that there would be at least a minimum access of the entire population or the greatest amount of the population, it was done this way. Do you use social networks to find out about supplies and prices in your area, for example, via Facebook or Telegram or WhatsApp groups? In my case I don't use social networks for any of these things, in fact, since there is nothing nearby that you can buy or anything, I don't see the need to do so. How many times a week do you consume: fish, red meat, white meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetables? The consumption of meat depends on many factors, in my case the fish when my husband catches it, I could not tell you, in a month it may be consumed several times, perhaps a whole month passes and none is consumed. The same can happen with red meat, that is something that is scarce, at least not beef, you can't. For white meats we consume chicken; although the one that is consumed the most in my house is generally pork, which is the one that we have the most access to, because my husband sometimes does business and things like that; then instead of asking for money, he asks for a change in compensation pork. For example, look at this month that has passed, we have had access twice to pork, a whole pig for business he has done, but it is not always like that, sometimes I can spend a whole week with rice and beans, and some food, and not have access to any of these things. Sometimes I can go a whole week with rice and beans, and some food, and not have access to any of these things We eat vegetables, very sparingly. Until now there is no organoponic or anything that can supply any of this. Eggs, either, not here, because of the winery, as it is a rural area, they don't bring eggs to sell; and if you find any eggs it would be for the black bag, but that is very scarce, because we live in a very remote place in the city, so it is limited. Dairy, it depends, it could be on one occasion or another, in the past the State supplied my girls until they were 7 years old, but well, one is now 8 and the other is 11, so she hasn't had this access for years. We supply ourselves more from the crops in my patio, there what I have the most are fruit trees, so as it is seasonal, I would have some of these foods at the time when these trees bear fruit; for example, avocado, guava, banana, papaya, bitter orange. The garden is not working yet, we are working based on that, but until it is finished, because I have nothing in the garden. What are, in your opinion, aggravating factors that you face daily when it comes to ensuring cooking? I'm thinking about the affectations for basic service of water, gas and electricity. For cooking food, I only have an electric stove, I have nothing else to do with electricity. I have a very old stove with bright light, kerosene and firewood, many of my foods are prepared with firewood. The water is not a problem, since I am the one who supplies myself, I have a turbine, and then I put the water in when I want, I have never had problems with the water. 1/4 Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE

A paperless event to “celebrate” For: Serge Angel January 11, 2022 00:00 / 04:24 (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 SERGIO ANGEL Read all of Sergio Angel's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE

La facultad de elegir por nosotros mismos qué alimentos deseamos probar, consumir, incorporar o sustraer de nuestra dieta diaria... From “material stimulus” to “food blackmail” For: claudia gonzalez January 18, 2022 D D ince the 1960s there has been discussion in Cuba about the relevance of labor stimulation. Initially, it was committed to the validity within Marxism, of accounting autonomy, self-financing and the system of material incentives. A staunch critic of this trend was Ernesto Guevara, who strongly discouraged the use of methods that he considered inherited from the past. Instead, Guevara promoted moral encouragement, the mere satisfaction of duty fulfilled before the construction of Socialism. The ethical value of the stimulus was circumscribed in the rigorous and trench atmosphere, which called for exemplary production, for the sake of "decisive effort". After the failure of the Ten Million Zafra, however, the Soviet system was adopted, which already used binding calculations between workers' remuneration and the quantity and quality of their work . First it was the delivery of Soviet-made household appliances (TVs, fans, irons), then Chinese (like bicycles in the 1990s). From the trade with the ALBA governments and, above all, from the export of medical, technical and sports services, the labor stimulus consisted of a percent of what the workplace earned in foreign currency. These incentives were not granted to all positions, but depended on the capacities of each ministry. In this way, they had more presence in those self-funded centers that generated profits (from the production or export of products and services), as well as in "strategic" centers linked to the upper echelons of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Government. In recent years, however, we have seen the gradual disappearance of material products, for others of food, consisting of chicken boxes, sausages, eggs or cooking oil, among other basic consumer products. Food is nowadays the most common stimuli to reward the work of the state worker, especially among medical, technical, sports personnel, etc. For example, Cuban athletes who received decorations at the Pan American qualifying event, held in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2021, were received in Cuba by representatives of the local government, with food combos that included cakes, cooking oil, sausages and vegetables. . If the stimuli are actions to promote the potential of the individual, food deliveries in Cuba have been the slow transition towards the impoverishment of this social mechanism, to the point of being almost a government survival device. The food has happened like this, to try to fit a salary system that does not fulfill the role that it responds to; Due to the real value of its content, it would be, perhaps, closer to the conception of the Guevarian moral stimulus. So, if the stimuli are intended to raise the worker's self-esteem, it is unfortunate that basic consumer products are proposed as such, and are even desired by their recipients. At a time of chronic shortages, the partial state delivery of food also creates an important social differentiation for citizens who are prevented from this access. The government is aware of the existing food insecurity, and part of this to control and condition militancy in key sectors "stimulating" with products that should be common, daily to all its citizens. Read all the columns of Claudia González in Food Monitor Program HERE

Food prices in national currency have increased by more than 3 times their value, for most products Quality of life has gone down Yunior Rodríguez, forty-one years old, independent, lives in Havana with her partner and her mother-in-law. Approximately how much do you spend in a month to guarantee your family's diet? How much of your income does it represent? Expenditure for food only, in a month, between 10 and 12 thousand pesos. How much of your income does it represent? It represents between 65 to 85% of income. Family income, due to the salary increase, has doubled or more. However, food prices in national currency have increased by more than 3 times their value, for most products. As a result the quality of life has decreased. The shortage is causing price increases for some products on the black market that rise weekly. How do you access food and in what percentage? (grocery markets, organic farms and fairs, black market, shipment of combos from abroad, purchase in MLC stores, labor incentives, others). I get 60% from the black market, then 10% from the warehouse, and 30% from the agricultural market of supply and demand. How many hours do you spend searching for and buying these foods? Between the three of us we dedicate about 15 hours a week to the search for food. And this is complex, especially because of the currency. In the foreign exchange market, if before the exchange rate was 1 dollar to 25 Cuban pesos, plus or minus, now the exchange rate is 1 dollar to 75 Cuban pesos plus or minus, and it remains unstable. Then the increase in price is also greater than the purchasing power. Do you use social networks to find out about supplies and prices in your area, for example, via Facebook or Telegram or WhatsApp groups? I do not use social networks for this purpose. Do you consider that your family has enough intake of healthy food for its normal development? No. We feed ourselves with a disproportion between high amounts of sugars and carbohydrates, and low amounts of vitamins and minerals. During the week we do not consume red meat or fish, dairy products, eggs and vegetables more frequently. We feed ourselves with a disproportion between high amounts of sugars and carbohydrates, and low amounts of vitamins and minerals. Who do you think is today guaranteeing the right to food in Cuba, the State or the family? that the family Have your food preferences changed in the last two years? No. Availability has changed. What are the essential products or that you most often get on the black market? To what extent do you consider that you depend on the black market? How do you access it? On the black market I secure chicken, mincemeat, milk and bread. I find out and get listening out there, by word of mouth. In the black market, inflation far exceeds salary increases. The centralized economy is in crisis, it does not have enough supply to combat inflation by increasing supply volumes. The little offer that it offers at prices lower than those of the black market, is stopped here immediately and goes up for resale in black. Result, it is almost impossible to buy in a store in Cuban pesos, the offer is few, and the queue is massively controlled by resellers. If you add other people, (the most vulnerable, with less purchasing power, without relatives abroad, without private businesses, etc.), who as a result of necessity wake up or sleep in queues, it becomes practically impossible to buy or enter to a local currency store. Result, it is almost impossible to buy in a store in Cuban pesos, the offer is few, and the queue is massively controlled by resellers. Read all interviews on Food Monitor Program HERE