Food First la Peña event: Discovering the Cuba Food System

Every third Wednesday of the month, Food First holds a free Monthly Event Series open to the public at La Peña Cultural Center, providing a collaborative space between community members and activists and researchers to explore the challenges of the global food system. This month’s event highlighted Food First’s educational travel and immersion program, Food Sovereignty Tours, with speakers Kathy Robinson, Andrea Spacht and Doria Robinson detailing their recent tour to Cuba. Coming from a range of backgrounds with varied interests in Cuba’s food system, the panelists offered their unique views and understandings of a country that for so long has been veiled by the workings of a long U.S. economic embargo and political hostilities. Having explored a number of farms and regions, panelists enthusiastically discussed their engagement with a number of accomplished gardeners and growers and the uniquely Cuban way of engaging with food. The floor was opened up for questions and debate amongst community members eager to discover more about Cuban agriculture and culture.