ANN ARBOR—Can Cuba’s organic, ecologically sustainable agricultural sector survive the transition to a market economy? What can other countries, especially developing ones, learn from Cuba’s successful shift from chemical intensive to organic agriculture as a strategy for improving the domestic food supply?

These and other questions will be addressed during an interdisciplinary University of Michigan seminar at 9 a.m. on Friday (Sept. 28). The discussion “The Economic Viability of Cuba’s Model of Sustainable Agriculture in the Process of Globalization” will take place in the U-M School of Social Work Building, Room 2609.

Sponsored by the William Davidson Institute, International Institute, and the Museum of Zoology in conjunction with the Program on Latin American and Caribbean Studies, this seminar is the second in the Health, Trade, and Ecology series, which explores the interlinkages of the fields as they relate to the challenges that globalization presents. The series provides a forum for ongoing dialogue among health professionals, trade experts, and ecologists in order to improve capacity to address emerging health issues that demand action across these disciplines.

During this seminar, professionals and researchers from various disciplines will seek to understand the implications of Cuba’s model of sustainable development. A cost-benefit analysis of the ecological and health benefits will be crucial to the discussion. The economic pressures against sustainable development will be considered while developing a strategy for the future of Cuba’s current agricultural system as the island is further immersed in globalization.

Professor Gerald Smith, Department of Ecology and Evolutional Biology, and Economics Professor Frank Thompson, head of the Residential College Social Science program, will moderate the discussion. Contributors include John Vandermeer, ecology and evolutionary biology; Fernando Funes Monzote, Pastures and Forages Research Institute, Havana, Cuba; Emily Morris, Cuba specialist, Economic Intelligence Unit, London; George Lambie, De Montfort University, director, Cuba Financial Reform; and Minor Sinclair, Cuba program officer, Oxfam America.

For further program details and to find out more about other discussions in the Health, Trade, and Ecology series, call (734) 615-8483 or visit the International Institute Web site at www.ii.umich.edu.

Related Links:

• School of Social Work
• William Davidson Institute
• Gerald Smith

EDITORS: To schedule interviews with seminar speakers, contact Melissa Beck at (734) 615-8483 or [email protected]