As it has always been the case, Sergio Díaz-Briquets has made an important contribution to the analysis of the Cuban environment. It could not have been otherwise. He and Jorge Pérez-López have been researching, and writing about, that topic for almost ten years. Such dedication culminated in the recent publication of their book Conquering Nature: […]
Differences in Agricultural Productivity in Cuba’s State and Nonstate Sectors: Further Evidence
For more than thirty years, the Cuban state has concentrated its attention and resources on the development of the portion of the agricultural sector under its direct control, neglecting the portion outside its control, particularly private farmers and, to a lesser extent, cooperatives. Although comparative studies of agricultural productivity in the state and nonstate sectors […]
Independent Agricultural Cooperatives in Cuba?
The first two independent agricultural cooperatives in socialist Cuba were founded in 1997. Soon thereafter, some independent farmers joined in a new coalition named the National Alliance of Independent Farmers of Cuba (Alianza Nacional de Agricultores Independientes de Cuba, ANAIC). Since that time, these, and the related events that followed, raised a number of questions […]
Comments by José Álvarez on “The Cuban Cigar Industry as the Transition Approaches” by Joseph M. Perry, Louis A. Woods, Stephen L. Shapiro and Jeffrey W. Steagall
This is a well structured and written paper. The topic could not be more important this year since tobacco is now among Cuba’s top four earners of foreign exchange. The paper starts by discussing the international cigar market, followed by a section on tobacco and cigars in Cuba, then the quantification of the U.S. cigar […]
Cuban Non-Sugarcane Agricultural Trade Patterns: Historical Perspectives and Future Prospects
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE1 Prior to 1959 the United States was clearly an important trading partner for Cuba. However, the historical trading relationship between the two countries has been far more dynamic than many people realize. For example, in the early 1930s, the United States was providing only slightly over half of Cuba’s total import requirements while […]