Cuba and UN work on several projects to palliate effects of drought

The Cuban Grain Research Institute (IIG by its Spanish acronym) and United Nations agencies work on several projects aimed at reducing the impact of drought on food security in Cuba.

In a meeting held in Havana, IIG researchers and representatives of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) discussed the strategies put in practice to combat the effects of climate change.

Gricel Acosta, a UNDP expert, said that efforts are focused on protecting and restoring ecosystems and their environmental services, as well as reducing pollutant loads.

Violeta Puldón, IIG scientific director, stated that in conjunction with the WFP they developed actions aimed at the production of beans in the eastern part of the country and in Pinar del Río, with the intention of carrying out a regionalization process of varieties, thus providing answers to the problems of drought and temperature increase.

The specialist also referred to the Agrocadenas project, which goal is identifying the problems affecting beans production, including the non-use of high quality seeds and several varieties.

He stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture also supports the IIG in obtaining basic seeds of high quality, which are multiplied to be certified and then destined to the producers.

Laura Melo, WFP representative in Cuba, noted that the Directorate General of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, WFP and UNDP strengthen the capacities of governmental food producing institutions to conduct comprehensive drought management in 20 municipalities of eastern Cuba.