FAO Council

Republic of Cuba
The issues before the Republic of Cuba are:
1. Cubas contribution to food security in South-East Asia
2. Cubas role in regulation of biofuels
I. Cubas contribution to food security in South-East Asia:
Considering food security in South East Asia a global threat, Cuba is perfectly aware of the need
of interstate co-operation to face this challenge. It therefore reaffirms its willingness to further
strengthen agreements with its partners, such as Vietnam.
The friendship and cooperation between the Communist Parties of Vietnam and Cuba have made
strong progress through many visits of high-ranking leaders of both sides to further their
economic, trade and investment cooperation, while continuing their coordination and mutual
support at international forums.
Along with regularly providing free training for tens of thousands of students from
developing countries, Cuba has also sent thousands of doctors and experts in the fields of health,
education, sports, and construction to help many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America,
including Vietnam, Cubas second-largest Asian trade partner. Cuba has advantages in medicine,
pharmaceuticals, advanced biological production and doctor training -fields that Vietnam hopes to
develop-while Cuba has high demand for many Made-in-Vietnam consumer products.
PM Dung affirmed Vietnam is willing to assist and collaborate with Cuba in fields that suit
both countries strengths and needs, noting that the intensification of their special partnership will
help foster ties between Cuba and East Asia as well as those of Vietnam and the Latin America.
In responding to the Cuban sides request for assistance in agriculture, PM Dung affirmed that
Vietnam will continue to help Cuba in maize and soybean cultivation and aquaculture projects.
Therefore, the Republic of Cuba
1. recalls the need to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the Communist Parties
of Vietnam and Cuba in order to support each other in their efforts in avoiding food shortage
and creating a sustainable food system.
2. points out that the economic co-operation with Vietnam has not been developed to its full
potential, so it is essential to further intensify co-operation in economics, trade and investment
in health care, bio-technology, oil and gas, construction, tourism, electronics and telecommunication. Vietnam has pledged to promote economic and trade measures in order to
create a legal basis for implementing new programmes and projects. Vietnam mainly imported
apparel materials, pulp and animal feed from Cuba. The two sides telecommunications
cooperation is productive, with the joint venture NATCOM.
II. Cubas role in regulation of biofuels:

Having been suffering from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, Cuba is aware of the
importance of contributing in biofuels use. It is essential to eradicate these social issues to stimulate
food and agriculture production and increase food security and agribusiness at the community level.
With new biofuels, Cuba is increasing his production to face his dependence on imports in
agriculture and the US embargo from 1962 and to support hurricane recovery.
In Bolivia, the Pan-American Union of Associations of Engineers will award Cuba the Luis
Wannoni Lander International Prize for its progress in biofuels. The country has introduced biofuel

for cooking, heating and electricity and there are moves underway to extend biofuel use to
agricultural equipment, refrigeration and home lighting.
A new biofuel has been presented for drip irrigation in sugarcane fields with Israeli
technology. It has achieved higher yield per hectare, compared to other techniques previously used,
although this program requires greater attention from producers. Along with the support from the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Cuba State funds built a green energy source,
the bellyache bush, a new biodiesel plant that uses jatropha seeds. Its cultivation is feasible in areas
of low or no agricultural value to power agricultural machinery . The seeds have traditionally been
used on the island to fight intestinal parasites and to lower fevers, but only in small doses because it
can be toxic.
Havana Energy CEO Andrew Macdonald announces a $50million investment in a Ciro
Redondo sugar mill. This is believed to be one of the largest foreign investment deals in Cuba in
recent years. The project has the double benefit of clearing that land for use again and creating
energy for the surrounding area, as well as being more environmentally friendly than diesel. The
firm is also planning to export the weed to Europe. The deal is a joint-venture with Cubas state
sugar monopoly to diversify its energy supply away from dependence on subsidized, imported oil
from its socialist ally, Venezuela.
In Cuba, the government is considering allowing foreign investment in sugar cane based
ethanol production. This is a market opportunity which Cuba, with the longest experience of sugar
ethanol and sugarcane derivates production in the region, is positioned to take advantage of. Cuban
sugar industry could serves an important role in the immediate future by attracting a new tranche of
foreign investment while bolstering the countrys economy through the production of raw sugar,
which would be processed into renewable fuel as well as cogenerate electricity, providing economic
and environmental advantages. The governments of Cuba and Venezuela are planning to move
forward together on biofuels production, but they will rely on producing alcohol from sugarcane, in
order to spare food crops, to protect the environment, reduce consumption of fossil fuels and
promote alternative energy sources, while holding fast to the principle of not using edible crops to
make fuels.
The Republic of Cuba therefore:
1. recalls the rich nations of the world to further sponsor costly projects in this field in Central
America and Caribbean, such as Cubas aim to generate a sixth of its electricity
from renewable sources before the end of the decade, along with his ally Venezuela.
2. offers to share its experience in the use of measures such as raising the sugarcane agricultural
yield and standardizing efficient practices which are essential to bolstering Cubas sugarcane
industry.
3. suggests to focus on integrated food and energy systems which include jatropha for biodiesel
production in an effort to increase production in non-food feedstocks in order not to waste
food and save food crops while making biofuels.
4. improve a better education for producers, smallholders and farmers and a higher land
preparation, such as proper selection of varieties for planting in order to succeed in using new
techniques; best practices to promote seed diversity and organic farming, using pest-resistant
crops and seeds with natural defenses. The main aim is to reach locally appropriate
certification systems and to incorporate farmers in the processes of agribusiness.