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Aquí encontrarás los libros que los investigadores de Food Monitor Program han escrito sobre inseguridad alimentaria en la Isla. Libros Las políticas alimentarias bajo regímenes autoritarios: los casos de Cuba y Venezuela Ver más detalles Vocabulario cubano de crisis y cocina Ver más detalles Cultura, Comida, y Poder Diálogos con artistas e intelectuales cubanos Ver más detalles ¿Cómo se come en Cuba? Diálogos sobre seguridad alimentaria Ver más detalles

Desde 1975 se conmemora cada 8 de marzo el Día Internacional de la Mujer como un día para el reconocimiento y la reflexión sobre los derechos de las mujeres y las brechas que, en diferentes ámbitos, aún no se logran reducir... 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

"They gave a module whose origin I do not know, that was immediately after the July 11 demonstrations." Everything is so expensive that the subsidy is a relief Leandro Fernández is 39 years old, lives with his partner, his father Who in your family usually does the shopping at the grocery store? We have hired someone who does the courier service for us. He is a self-employed neighbor who provides this service. Do you buy other “controlled”, “regulated” or “regulated” products by this system? We received a donation module that they delivered. Outside of that, we look for everything in MLC stores or in buy-sell groups on social networks. What products from the supply book do you consume most frequently? Do you leave any without removing in the month? The products that we consume the most are rice, eggs, oil. I don't normally take out the soy mincemeat and the like. 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? My income is irregular because it depends on the management I do, I am self-employed. Even so, I am not affected by the cost of regulated products, but the majority of the country is affected a lot, especially pensioners, elderly people. Even so, I am not affected by the cost of regulated products, but the majority of the country is affected a lot, especially pensioners, elderly people. How many days of the month would you say that the basic products of the notebook are enough for the family? I would say between a week and 10 days approximately. Do you exchange, buy, resell or give away any of the products assigned to you? Usually not. Do you think that the family diet could survive without the notebook? If they delivered more released products, do you think you could pay for them with your income and that it would be a positive change or would you prefer more subsidies? It depends on the people who make up the nucleus. If there are elderly people or children it is impossible to survive without the passbook since most of the month you have to buy products on the street and they are so expensive that buying them subsidized is a relief, example: toilet paper cost 20 CUP, now in the market black costs from 120 to 150 CUP. If there are elderly people or children, it is impossible to survive without the book, since most of the month you have to buy the products on the street and they are so expensive that buying them subsidized is a relief Do you consider that the products assigned by the supply book condition the way you prepare food? In my case, I don't think it conditions the cooking of the food I eat. Have you received any donation or external product at subsidized prices during the Covid19 period for the passbook? Can you describe it, as well as its origin? They gave a module whose origin I do not know, that was immediately after the July 11 demonstrations. The content varied from region to region. We receive rice, lentils, pasta, oil. Some people were given milk, others wheat flour, or chicken. Read all interviews on 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 1/2 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 De forma general podemos afirmar que la falta de inocuidad alimentaria tiene una incidencia mayor en un segmento más indefenso de la población. Los alimentos contaminados han afectado mayormente a las personas vulnerables, más dependientes del sistema de racionamiento mientras que una mayoría entrevistada decide regalar o no “sacar de la libreta” productos como el picadillo de soya. [12] En una mayor fragilidad se encuentran las comunidades alejadas de centros urbanos, a los que estos productos ya llegan de forma limitada y con mayores complicaciones (de transportación, de almacenamiento, de refrigeración). Para estas personas, a la decepción de recibir productos en este estado en las actuales condiciones de desabastecimiento en Cuba, se suma la incertidumbre ante la no garantía de reposición o sustitución inmediata según los propios organismos implicados. En lo referente a personas privadas de libertad, en encuestas previas realizadas por Food Monitor Program, por ejemplo sobre la alimentación en instituciones carcelarias en la isla, a la pregunta de si habían experimentado eventos de intoxicación por mal estado de los alimentos un tercio de los entrevistados respondió afirmativamente aduciendo diarrea y “mal de estómago”. [13] En términos estructurales, es muy difícil supervisar en Cuba el cumplimiento de los indicadores de calidad. Esto requiere que se apliquen sistemas de gestión a lo largo de toda la cadena de producción, y luego desde el productor hasta el consumidor. Por ejemplo, en estudios para determinar la calidad e inocuidad de los alimentos de producción nacional se ha determinado que la producción de algunos alimentos perecederos cumple con los requisitos mínimos establecidos, pero su deterioro se debe a fallos principales como carencias logísticas e inadecuada infraestructura, que contribuyen a problemas higiénico sanitarios. [14] 1/1 El seguimiento de un indicador tan importante como la aceptabilidad en el mercado tampoco es verídico si se tiene en cuenta que dada la precarización alimentaria en la isla los alimentos que presentan falta de inocuidad son igualmente reutilizados en comida para las mascotas y los animales de corral. Por ejemplo, los granos picados se destinan a las aves de corral, muchas familias que no consumen picadillo de soya lo compran y lo reservan para sus mascotas, el yogurt de soya fermentado es un alimento apetecido por los cerdos de cría. En este último caso un residente en Santiago de Cuba explica: “Mi vecino, en cambio, fíjense qué maravilla, no deja de estar contento, ¿y por qué? porque si yo no me como el yogurt, el se lo echará a los puercos. Y se va por el camino, ligero, activo, casi que saltando de alegría, cubriendo la decepción de no tomar el yogurt, con la ventaja de poder alimentar a los puercos con un alimento de primera.” [15] En los casos en que el producto dañado no puede reutilizarse es importante recordar las consecuencias de la falla en los reglamentos de producción y distribución nacionales. Conduce mayormente a la pérdida y desperdicio de alimentos, otro elemento a subsanar en la consecución de la seguridad alimentaria. Saber qué es lo que comemos y poder elegir qué alimentos incorporamos a nuestro organismo es también un derecho. La seguridad de poder constatar en el etiquetado la salubridad de lo que recibimos no solamente evita malos hábitos de consumo, sino que incentiva a una mejor alimentación, evita el desaprovechamiento de alimentos en un momento precario de desabastecimiento nacional, repercute en la percepción de peligro de intoxicación y de contraer enfermedades intestinales, en general asegura la preservación de la salud y una mejor calidad de vida. [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

The abundance of scarcity For: German Quintero January 04, 2022 00:00 / 04:40 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

Nota de PRENSA Nota de prensa N° 1 - Food Monitor Program Debido a la falta de libretas de abastecimiento, el Ministerio de Comercio Interior anuncia medidas para la anotación de productos alimenticios en los meses de enero y febrero de 2023 03 de enero de 2023 English Version Versión en español El Ministerio de Comercio Interior (MINCIN), por medio del envío de un documento oficial, anunció el pasado 26 de diciembre de 2022 que debido al “atraso en la fabricación por la industria de Libretas de control de productos alimenticios” no será posible entregar las libretas de abastecimiento en ocho de las dieciséis provincias de Cuba. Las provincias totalmente afectadas serán Mayabeque, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila y Granma, mientras que habrá afectación parcial en las provincias de La Habana, Pinar del Río y Santiago de Cuba. El documento enviado a “Directores Estatales de Comercio y Directores de los Grupos Empresariales” de las provincias anteriormente mencionadas, informa que, debido al atraso en la producción de libretas, se establece un procedimiento “transitorio” de anotación de los productos de la canasta básica familiar normada. Se explica, además, que este atraso se debe a “las limitaciones financieras que provocaron atrasos en la importación de materia prima para la confección de las libretas” y que ello condujo a “atrasos significativos” en la producción y distribución de las libretas de abastecimiento para el año 2023. Como en el año pasado , las anotaciones del año 2023 se realizarán en las libretas de 2022. El uso de la libreta de 2022, según este procedimiento, será ajustado para anotar en otras páginas los productos del nuevo año. En la casilla derecha de la página 11 se realizará la anotación de los productos secos, cárnicos y leche de la canasta familiar normada, reflejando el nombre del producto en la columna ‘cantidad’ y en la columna ‘fecha’ la cantidad del producto que se recibe por el total de consumidores del núcleo. En la página 19 se anotará el pan marcando la cantidad y la fecha. Los combustibles se anotarán en la misma página 2, aclarando la fecha y la cantidad. Al igual que con los combustibles, las dietas médicas del 2023 se anotarán en la página correspondiente. Para el Gas Licuado del Petróleo (GLP), que es una de las fuentes de energía para la preparación de alimentos, será validada por medio de los vales de venta que se emiten en la fecha de adquisición. En el último apartado del procedimiento, el MINCIN indica que los distribuidores serán los encargados de hacer la actualización de las libretas antes del 30 de marzo de 2023. FMP llama la atención sobre la persistencia en las condiciones de desabastecimiento de “materias primas” que se han justificado como “problemas financieros” durante los años 2021 y 2022. En el primer caso, la justificación del desabastecimiento se debía a la falta de insumos, producida por la situación económica en pandemia; en el último por causa del “bloqueo”. Esta situación terminará por afectar, nuevamente, a los consumidores de los productos básicos de la canasta familia, quienes tras la Tarea Ordenamiento y la escasez profunda de alimentos se han visto cada vez más dependientes del documento de racionamiento. En esta ecuación, la mayoría de la población con menor capacidad adquisitiva, sin fuentes de ingreso por remesas ni acceso a moneda MLC se ubicará en condiciones de vulnerabilidad serias. FMP continúa advirtiendo sobre las graves consecuencias que tiene este tipo de situaciones a la hora de garantizar un debido derecho a la alimentación de la población en Cuba.

From “material stimulus” to “food blackmail” For: claudia gonzalez January 18, 2022 00:00 / 04:13 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. one one https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2021/08/11/el-humiliating-premio-de-la-dictadura-cubana-a-una-joven-promesa-del-boxeo-tras- win-a-tournament-in-mexico/ Read all the columns of Claudia González in 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

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

"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

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 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. 1/3 La trilogía pollo, perrito y picadillo ha sido avalada por los gobernantes cubanos, como el único alimento proteico que podemos consumir los cubanos de a pie, sin más trabas que las colas y la burocracia que enrola el acceso a estas compras. No es un secreto que la carne de res en los mercados en moneda libremente convertible (MLC) es inalcanzable para quienes no reciben remesas, mientras que el mercado negro es una opción demasiado riesgosa. La carne de cerdo se ha posicionado en el mercado como un producto de lujo, con precios extremadamente caros, a los que tampoco se acceden con facilidad; por su parte el pescado, hace años dejó de ser una opción para la media de los habitantes de esta isla. Read all of German Quintero's columns on the Food Monitor Program HERE