This is a must watch documentary about how Cuba survived the ordeals after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and was largely cut off from the rest of the world via the US led embargoes. The oil available to Cubans was cut to around a third of previous consumption and food imports were cut by 80% choking the Cuban economy. The greatest consumer of oil in Cuba was the agricultural sector which was well entrenched in the “green revolution” industrialised agricultural methods. When the oil crunch hit the agricultural process starved and soon after so did the people in what was dubbed “the special period”.
However the government and the people were quick to respond and pretty much any available patch of land was converted to farm organically through permaculture methods. While there was much hardship and the soil took time to become fertile again the people not only survived but thrived. A story we all should be aware of as there is a very distinct possibility that the western world will be going through the same “special period”.