The Historical Context: Cuban Agriculture and Food Systems of the 20th Century

The Socialist Revolution in Cuba was heavily backed by the rural population, and for over 40 years of its existence has continually emphasized the improvements in the farming and food system compared with the pre-Revolutionary period. Yet, as with food systems in most countries, it was highly vulnerable to changes in the external relations upon which it depended. A review of its historical context provides an explanation for this vulnerability and also describes the fundamental structures and mechanisms still visible in the farming and food system today. This review includes the events leading directly up to the crisis of the early 1990s and the short-term coping strategies that ensued.