Cuba: 9th International Meeting on Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, Nutrition Education and Cooperativism | Declaration

From 17 to 23 November 2025, the 9th International Meeting on Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, Nutrition Education and Cooperativism was held at the National Training Centre of the National Association of Small Farmers “Niceto Pérez García” in the municipality of Güira de Melena, Cuba.One hundred and twenty-one representatives from 16 countries participated in the event. In accordance with the programme of the 9th Meeting, 14 activities or blocks of exchange activities were organised, covering a wide range of topics; Four conferences and three interactive panels, both in plenary session, analysed and provided information on: the international and national situation; The content and projection of recently approved policies and legal texts on agroecology in Cuba; The roles and challenges of youth in agroecology; The ecological, economic and social sustainability of farms; Updated information related to the effects of the blockade of Cuba on Cuban agriculture and the implementation of Agenda 20-30 by Cuba. Five commissions worked on specific topics related to agroecology, such as family farming, agrobiodiversity and seeds, gender and training processes, food security and sovereignty, agrarian reform and cooperativism. In order to follow up on these lessons, two days of direct visits were organised to farms and cooperatives in the provinces of Artemisa, Havana and Mayabeque, to exchange with peasant families and cooperatives, highlighting the results achieved in agroecology, including the links between the economy, society and the environment. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views and evaluate the application of experiences in agroecological practices and the search for alternatives to achieve sustainable agriculture that guarantees food sovereignty and sustainability for our peoples. Experiences on the challenges faced by young people and the role of women in the agroecological transition proved to be innovative and interesting. The importance of having strong farmers’ organisations and cooperatives that bring together the promotion and consolidation of the agroecological model at the grassroots level was reaffirmed. These cooperatives draw on their organisational capacity, their strength in mobilising people, the availability of individuals with agroecological and methodological knowledge, and their management capacity at the local level. It is these characteristics that provide the materials and financial resources necessary to ensure the sustainability and continuity of the transition process. The meeting examined the usefulness of the Peasant-to-Peasant method in strengthening participatory processes with the aim of ensuring the rapid dissemination and multiplication of agroecological knowledge and practices. Relevant experiences were presented on how Peasant-to-Peasant method has also served to promote local capacity building, increase autonomy, and ensure the recognition and representation of actors and organisatio Read More