Havana, April 26.- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) revealed the establishment of an alliance in order to promote the digitalization of rural areas in Cuba.
The University Foundation for Innovation and Development of the University of Havana (UH Foundation) and the FAO participate in the initiative, with the support of the South-South cooperation trust fund of the organization and China, the United Nations agency explained in a release.
The efforts respond to the implementation of the South-South Cooperation project: Digital Transformation and Innovation in Agriculture, promoted by the FAO, the People's Republic of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
According to the source, the purpose is to expand access to digital tools, as well as their use in agri-food systems and rural territories, which should help communities improve the promotion and sale of their tourism services, increase their own income and create jobs.
For its part, the UH Foundation announced that the workshops will continue over the next three months to share good practices in the design of digitalization and electronic commerce strategies to support family farmers.
The one carried out now had the participation of producers from the five beneficiary communities of this project in the country and national authorities from the Ministries of Tourism (Mintur); Agriculture; Science, Technology and Environment; and Higher Education.
At the meeting, the first vice minister of Science, Technology and Environment, José Fidel Santana, highlighted that the project must progress in a challenging environment, since only 15 percent of the population resides in rural areas.
While the head of the Mintur Science, Technology and Innovation Program, Ramón Pomés, highlighted the importance of encouraging smart destinations in rural areas and developing agrotourism.
According to the FAO, the digital initiative in Cuba includes holding other training workshops on various topics, including georeferencing, sensometry and instrumentation, and the use of ecological and sustainable technologies.
These exchanges will also be in conjunction with the UH Foundation and will be characterized by being open to all those interested in contributing to digital transformation and sustainable agriculture, indicated the United Nations entity.
The initial actions (pilot plan) will take place in the Vista Hermosa Agroecological Farm, located in the capital municipality of Guanabacoa, and in four other communities of Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas, and Jobo Rosado in Sancti Spíritus.
According to FAO, the effort is regional in nature and seeks to transform rural livelihoods and agri-food systems in 12 countries; namely, Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. (Text and photo: PL)
