Reflections on family farming and short value chains from the experience of the Biomas Cuba project

Abstract

It is important to recognize and support the potential of family farming to develop efficient systems in food production, cultural values and a strategic territorial link for the use of endogenous resources and the strengthening of a local identity and tradition. Despite its importance, several factors limit its promotion on a larger scale with an agroecological approach, although several projects and programs validate in different settings the importance of effective links between the public sector and peasant agriculture, which strengthen innovation processes and contextualization of different technologies and their contribution to local rural development. The international collaboration project BIOMAS Cuba, within its priority axes, links the conception of food culture as a process that goes from the soil to the table, with very interesting results for collective reflection on policies that can influence the multiplication of good experiences. Therefore, this article summarizes some results of the Food Culture axis of the Biomas project and proposals to consider for the promotion of family farming on agroecological bases.