Food on display, but not on the table: Food Fair Organized in Cuba

The Cuban government prepares the 4th International Fair of Food, Beverages, Packaging and Food Technology Cuba 2024, while supermarket shelves remain empty and inflation devours the purchasing power of citizens.

The event will take place in Havana, from May 21 to 23, at the Pabexpo venue. Before its inauguration, it is already generating criticism, since the island's authorities "are going to count money in front of the poor", displaying products intended for export, which are rarely available to Cubans.

The fair will have the participation of exhibiting companies from 20 countries, including delegations from Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Spain, United States, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, Panama, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, China, Turkey and Venezuela, among others.

The government assures that the intention is to explore opportunities for food production in Cuba, with an eye on both the local population and the tourism sector.

The Vice Minister of the Food Industry, Javier Francisco Aguiar Rodríguez, highlighted the importance of joint ventures with foreign capital and the participation of Cubans residing abroad in the search for economic alliances.

"We will be able to increase exports, which are so necessary for the country at this time. We are looking for greater income to acquire raw materials, fuels, many of the products that the population needs today and are missing in the daily lives of Cubans," he told Cubadebate.

However, the contradiction between the abundance that the government intends to show at the fair and the scarcity on the Cuban streets highlights the tensions between domestic needs and the economic strategies of the State.

The event is celebrated at a time when the lack of basic foods such as milk, bread, rice, meat, sugar or coffee, aggravate the already difficult situation of many Cubans, who observe how the few high-quality productions are destined for markets outside the borders.

The Food Fair highlights the complex dynamic between local production and market demands, in a country with deep economic disparities, where the average salary is not enough to make ends meet and putting a plate of food on the table costs more expensive every day.