Young Cubans hold an Experience Exchange Fair, in support of the implementation of the SAN Plan

06/10/2022
Cuban organizations, institutions and projects that work with young people held an Experience Exchange Fair this weekend, with the aim of strengthening the differentiated work of the Center for Youth Studies, the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) and the Cuban Association of Agricultural and Forestry Technicians (ACTAF) with its young associates, in support of the implementation of the Plan for Food Sovereignty and Nutritional Education (Plan SAN).

Organized by ACTAF, with technical assistance from FAO, from the "Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation for Food and Nutritional Security" (FIRST) and FO4ACP programs with financing from the European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (FIDA), the workshop contributed to the construction of an action plan for working with youth, with a view to achieving a more effective participation of youth in local food systems and strengthening the capacities of the organizations present in this area.

The space was attended by the provinces of Holguín, Villa Clara, Matanzas, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Havana and Pinar del Río, and organizations such as the Federation of University Students and their Youth Technical Brigades, the Martin Luther King Center, the Movement Christian Student, the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation, the Oscar Arnulfo Romero Center, and research centers and institutes linked to the agricultural branch.

Based on the use of popular education tools and the analysis of 13 experiences, the workshop reflected on challenges associated with the incorporation of young people to work in the field and in organizations, as well as proposals for possible actions to strengthen the alliance with youth linked to local food systems, from their own concerns and life projects.

As part of the workshop, a group of projects and institutions presented their initiatives in working with young people and possible synergies were identified at the national level for work towards food sovereignty and nutritional education.

In an exchange with young participants, Diosnel San Loys, Vice Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the current scenario in the country focused on the implementation of the SAN Plan and the Food Sovereignty and Nutritional Education Law (SSAN Law), recently approved by the National Assembly of People's Power. This scenario should open opportunities.

San Loys emphasized the importance of increasingly incorporating science into food production, and of working intersectorally and with the leading role of young people with a view to the four strategic themes of the State Plan: import substitution; food safety and quality; the consolidation of local food systems; as well as the mobilization of educational systems, science and culture for the effective implementation of Plan SAN.

Likewise, María Felicia Díaz, Director of Research at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ICA), considered that the exchange space was crucial to support decision-making regarding ways of acting with young people. “This has to be an experience for the actors and decision-makers, so that they know that young people are a priority. Spaces like this have to be replicated throughout the country as a way to reach young people in different ways,” she said.

Promoting the integration and participation of youth in the actions and tasks associated with the implementation of the SAN Plan is one of the objectives of spaces such as this, which joins other actions such as conducting research on how public policies associated with FNS in youth life projects linked to local food systems.

As a new appointment to delve into these issues, it is also planned to hold a similar Exchange Fair at the regional level, which will include the participation of regional organizations with leadership in youth work.