Environment and Conflict at the Dawn of the 1959 Cuban Revolution

In May 1959, the Cuban revolutionary government proclaimed the beginning of an agrarian reform, a long-standing demand of nationalist political movements. The measure immediately triggered opposition from foreign interests in the sugar agroindustry and the national agrarian bourgeoisie. In the first line of confrontation were the large cattle ranchers dedicated to the meat business, who benefited from the boom in this activity after the protectionist cycle that began amid the 1930 economic crisis. Professor Funes-Monzote’s presentation will offer the general lines of the livestock sector in mid-20th century Cuba, in its scientific-technological, political-social, and ecological implications, as a key factor in the development policies promoted to modernize agriculture and expand the consumption of animal protein under a Green Revolution model.

Following Professor Funes-Monzote’s presentation, Professor Kreike will reflect on his oral history research in Granma Province on the social and environmental impact of the 1950s war.