Semilla Guantánamo

The project contributes to climate change adaptation and mitigation in Cuba, particularly in the agro forestry sector, in the province of Guantánamo, in the municipalities of Guantánamo, Imias, San Antonio del Sur and Maisí.

The objective of the project is to improve the resilience of rural communities and production chains through a Climate Smart Agriculture approach, encouraging forest conservation and reforestation with indigenous species. The project pursues an integrated approach in watershed management to reduce vulnerability caused by extreme climate events.

The main results are the adaptation to climate change by agro-forestry sectors; the improvement of the forest heritage with a comprehensive approach to watershed management; the increase in knowledge of the various tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation, both at institutional and rural population level.

The project experiments with new methodologies such as crowd sourcing and others already applied in Cuba, such as redes comunitarias de semillas (community seed networks) and participatory biodiversity certification.

Overall objective

To contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation in Cuba in the agro-forestry sector in order to increase the resilience of rural communities.

Specific objectives

Improving the resilience of rural communities and production chains through a climate smart agriculture approach, encouraging forest conservation and reforestation with native species.

• Analysis and characterisation of the current situation concerning the production and management systems of each municipality of intervention.
• Assessment of soil quality and biodiversity diagnosis.
• Participatory development of strategies to strengthen resilience at landscape and agricultural level; socio-economic diagnosis of the territories involved.
• Experimentation and possible dissemination of herbaceous species and varieties (vegetables, cereals, tubers and legumes) more tolerant to drought and adapted to climate change scenarios.
• Research activities for the identification of species and varieties validated under biotic stress (diseases and pests) and abiotic stress (salinity and drought) and able to produce in adverse climatic conditions with acceptable yields.
• Identification and implementation of technologies for the production and conservation of easy-to-introduce varieties of vegetables, cereals, pulses and tubers.
• Design and implementation of public awareness-raising actions for rural communities.
• Value chain development for selected crops.
• Support for production and conservation.
• Creation of exchange networks for seed producers. Networks are an initiative implemented in rural communities to collectively manage a seed stock, necessary for sowing crops.
• Creation/dissemination of information material and teaching manuals on participatory certification of agricultural biodiversity.

• Adaptation of the main agro forestry supply chains to climate change, while respecting food security and sovereignty and improving the resilience of the communities involved. The capacities of agro forestry and horticultural production cooperatives are improved in quality and quantity. Techniques for growing and conserving water and soil are identified and improved in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Young people and women are included in the activities.
• Enhancement of the forest heritage of the four beneficiary municipalities, with an integrated approach to watershed management, soil, water and biodiversity conservation; reforestation of the main watersheds with drought-resistant native species, also identified among “Martian” species.
• Improvement of knowledge on climate change and on adaptation and mitigation tools, at the level of institutions, technicians and rural populations, in particular for young people and women.