While Cuban farmers continue to search for a liter of milk and butchers sell bones at the price of steak, the National Television News (NTV) enthusiastically announced that "Cuba wants to be a leader in sustainable livestock farming in Latin America."
Yes, the same country where cows are counted as if they were gold, and killing one without permission can land you straight in jail, often with a longer sentence than if you had taken a person's life.
According to the report, the international meeting SILVOPAT 2025 began with "fieldwork on farms associated with the Institute of Animal Science," where—according to the note—research projects are implemented "to contribute to food production and animal nutrition."
Everything sounds great on paper, but in reality, the cows are still lean, the pastures are dry, and the farmers have neither feed nor fodder.
The event, which brings together producers, scientists, and students from fifteen countries, aims to discuss how to address climate change and ensure "food sovereignty."
One of the unidentified attendees stated that "Cuba contributes with its results from many years of work in livestock" and that the country offers "alternatives to move towards sustainable livestock farming."
Judging by the official data—over 180,000 illegal activities detected in the sector and thousands of livestock reported missing—the Cuban model of "sustainability" appears to be based on maintaining scarcity.
The Animal Science Institute (ICA), founded by the dictator Fidel Castro six decades ago, was presented as a continental reference. Its mission: to turn science "into productive force."
However, that strength has not yet translated into meat or milk on Cuban tables. In state stores, prices are an insult, and in the black market, beef is harder to find than a lobster tail.
Meanwhile, young participants of the SILVOPAT expressed that they felt honored to be part of the event, convinced that "little by little" they will gain experience to "address the needs of animal production." There is no doubt: they possess optimism, though perhaps they should begin by visiting an actual dairy farm outside the scientific exhibition circuit.
For four days, SILVOPAT 2025 promised to "create new networks of knowledge for food security, health, and animal welfare." It sounds noble, but in the Cuban context, where animal welfare often means surviving hunger, the discourse becomes almost an involuntary joke.
In the end, Cuba dreams of leading sustainable cattle ranching in Latin America. And who knows, maybe it will succeed... when there are no cows left, no grass remains, and the "creative resistance" has found a way to convince Cubans of the nutritional benefits of minced moringa and marabú.
Filed under: