Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2005

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Sociology

Major Professor

Sherry Cable

Committee Members

John Gulick, Lois Presser

Abstract

Worldwide, hunger continues to pose great problems for humanity. Despite popular belief, hunger is a problem of inequality, not agricultural production. The fast-approaching global peak in oil production, the point at which half of all existing oil has been used, means that hunger, now a problem of inequality, will soon become a problem of production unless contemporary agricultural production is transformed. This project examines the promise of urban agriculture in providing food security following the collapse of petroagriculture.

The case of Cuba, albeit fostered by political economic conditions and not emerging geophysical limitations, provides a model of agricultural development for the rest of the world. The collapse of the Soviet trade bloc in 1989 undermined Cuba’s agriculture sector, as former inputs (particularly petroleum) were no longer available. To feed its population, Cuba initiated the largest organic agriculture effort in history. In doing so, Cuba successfully thwarted potentially devastating hunger and possible famine.

Degradation of the planet is inextricably linked to the degrading conditions of life for the majority of the world’s population. A systematic examination of the Cuban case exemplifies the importance and feasibility of urban agriculture for simultaneously addressing the roots of both.

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