FAO Acknowledges Cuba's Efforts in Soil Protection

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) acknowledged that Cuba implements different national strategies for soil protection, with encouraging results for its development.

The program designed makes it possible to recover areas affected by some degrading factors like salinity or soil erosion, asserted Theodore Friedrich, FAO representative to Havana, who recalled that December 5th marks World Soil Day and that 2015 was declared International Year of Soils.

In his statements to ACN, the official pointed out that the international organization has helped Cuba in the development of its agricultural infrastructure, creating research institutes, some of which emerged from projects carried out on the island.

Friedrich recalled that recently the FAO executed a project to promote pig farming, and others to favor agricultural, aquaculture and beekeeping production, which are in various stages of implementation.

Experts in the field assert that healthy soils not only form the basis for the obtaining in the planet of food, fuel, fiber and medical products, but are also essential for ecosystems, since they participate in the carbon cycle and store and filter water, among other functions.