International audience ; Cuba is a tropical island lying 1 50 kilometres on a straight linefrom the South of the United States. It extends over an area onefifth of that of France and its population is about one sixth ofthat of France. Up to now it has lived almost exclusively on itssugar exports, more than half of which were accepted by the UnitedStates at a specially favourable rate. The lack of economic balancecaused by this sugar-cane single crop and this over-specializedtrade, was such that Cuba, instead ofproducing the mostelementary goods (viz, vegetables, fruit, meat, cigarettes), withouteven mentioning industrial and forest products, had to import them.Besides, this single culture and sugar trade were in the hands ofa small minority of owners, half of which were of foreign origin.More than 50 fir, of the land belonged to less than 1 % of the populationand 894 holdings covered 36,1 % of the land.The forests of Cuba formerly large and rich, had suffered morethan any other natural resource from this sugar-cane single culture.Most of them had been cleared up with a view to cultivation whilethe remainder growing on rather poor soil, had been depleted withoutany regard to its conservation. As a matter of fact, exportingsugar and importing forest products, even at prohibitive prices, wasdeemed preferable. Therefore, Cuba imported 80 Jo of the forestproducts it consumed (firewood and charcoal excepted).As a result of these abuses, forests in Cuba, serve but imperfectlythe double purpose of production and protection which shouldnormally fall to it.Dr Fidel Castro's regime which was settled on January 1st 1959,is aware of the seriousness of forest problems in Cuba. Its forestpolicy is part of its general economic policy which aims at diversifyingthe production in every field and industrializing the country.The basic political or economic means used to reach that aim are:an agrarian reform, the organization of production on a colectivebasis, under strict state supervision.As far as forestry is concerned, in ...
International audience ; Cuba is a tropical island lying 1 50 kilometres on a straight linefrom the South of the United States. It extends over an area onefifth of that of France and its population is about one sixth ofthat of France. Up to now it has lived almost exclusively on itssugar exports, more than half of which were accepted by the UnitedStates at a specially favourable rate. The lack of economic balancecaused by this sugar-cane single crop and this over-specializedtrade, was such that Cuba, instead ofproducing the mostelementary goods (viz, vegetables, fruit, meat, cigarettes), withouteven mentioning industrial and forest products, had to import them.Besides, this single culture and sugar trade were in the hands ofa small minority of owners, half of which were of foreign origin.More than 50 fir, of the land belonged to less than 1 % of the populationand 894 holdings covered 36,1 % of the land.The forests of Cuba formerly large and rich, had suffered morethan any other natural resource from this sugar-cane single culture.Most of them had been cleared up with a view to cultivation whilethe remainder growing on rather poor soil, had been depleted withoutany regard to its conservation. As a matter of fact, exportingsugar and importing forest products, even at prohibitive prices, wasdeemed preferable. Therefore, Cuba imported 80 Jo of the forestproducts it consumed (firewood and charcoal excepted).As a result of these abuses, forests in Cuba, serve but imperfectlythe double purpose of production and protection which shouldnormally fall to it.Dr Fidel Castro's regime which was settled on January 1st 1959,is aware of the seriousness of forest problems in Cuba. Its forestpolicy is part of its general economic policy which aims at diversifyingthe production in every field and industrializing the country.The basic political or economic means used to reach that aim are:an agrarian reform, the organization of production on a colectivebasis, under strict state supervision.As far as forestry is concerned, in particular, everything is atpresent carried out by the State on land expropriated in compliancewith the agrarian reform.To meet the requirements of an ambitious economic .program andowing to the scarcity of foreign exchange stock, the Cuban Government is unfortunately on its way towards the depletion of its.few remaining forests. Here is the negative aspect of this forestpolicy, which must be deplored, but cannot perhaps be avoided. Butit has also its positive aspect, represented by an extensive and spectacularprogram of artificial plantations considered in a way as treeculture.In 1960, for example, more than 12 000 ha have been planted witheucalypts, after preliminary ploughing and fertilization, and it is likelythat in 1961 an area twice as large will be planted. Though upto now the main species has been Eucalyptus saligna, there is atendency to ;plant Pinos caribaea, more and more, because it is muchmore suitable.As a matter of fact, Cuba, with its rich soil, its warm and moistclimate, offers conditions extremely favourable to tropical and subtropicalcultures and to forests.If the policy outlined here is carried into effect systematically andaccording to a coordinated plan, in 10 to 20 years hence, Cuba islikely to be able to produce a large portion of the forest raw materialsnecessary to its consumption and to the manufacture of sawn timber,pulp. and paper, artificial silk, fiber and particle boards, etc.At the same time, it would spare a large amount of foreign exchangestock and would provide work for a population, most ofwhich has no activity beyond the 100 clays per year which correspondto the period of sugar-cane crop, and would derive profits fromnow unproductive land. ; Cuba est une île tropicale située à 150 kilomètres en ligne droiteau Sud des États-Unis. Sa surface est environ le 1/5 (le celle dela France et sa population, environ le 1/6. Jusqu'à ce jour, elle avécu presque exclusivement de ses. exportations de sucre dont plusde la moitié était acceptée à un de faveur par les Etats-Unis.Le déséquilibre entraîné par cette monoculture de la canne à sucreet ce commerce spécialisé à l'extrême, était tel que Cuba importait,alors qu'elle aurait pu les produire, les biens les plus élémentaires(légumes, fruits, viandes, cigarettes) sans parler bien entendit desproduits industriels et forestiers.En outre, cette monoculture et ce commerce du sucre étaiententre les mains d'une très faible minorité dont la moitié était denationalité étrangère. Plus de 50 % de la terre appartenait ft moinsde 1 % de la population et 894 propriétés occupaient 36,1 % de laterre.Autrefois riches et vastes, les forêts de Cuba avaient souffert,plus que toute autre richesse, de la monoculture de la canne à sucre:on en avait défriché une grande partie en vue de la culture,tandis que le reste, dont le sol était peu fertile, avait été épuisé sansqu'on sc préoccupe de sa conservation. On préférait en effet exporterdu sucre et importer, fût-.e à des prix exhorbitants, les produitsforestiers. Cuba importait donc 80 % des produits forestiers qu'elleconsommait (bois de feu et charbon de bois exclus).Le résultat de tous ces abus est qu'actuellement la forêt ne remplità Cuba que de façon très imparfaite les fonctions de production etde protection qui, normalement. devraient lui revenir.Le régime du Docteur Fidel CASTRO qui s'est installé le 1er janvier1959, est conscient de la gravité du problème forestier à Cuba.Sa politique forestière entre dans le cadre de sa politique économiquegénérale qui tend it diversifier la production dans tous lesdomaines et à industrialiser le pays. Les moyens de caractère politiqueou économique employés pour y arriver sont fondamentalement:la réforme agraire et l'organisation de la production sur unebase collectiviste, caractérisée par un étroit contrôle de l'État.Du point de vue forestier, en particulier, tout est actuellementréalisé par l'Etat sur les terres expropriées au titre de la réformeagraire. Pour faire face aux exigences d'un programme économique ambitieuxet en raison de la rareté des devises, le Gouvernement cubains'achemine malheureusement vers l'épuisement des rares forêts quiexistent encore. C'est l'aspect négatif, regrettable mais peut-êtreinévitable, de cette politique forestière. Mais elle a aussi son aspectpositif, représenté par l'énorme et spectaculaire programme de plantationsartificielles considérées un peu comme des cultures d'arbres.En 1960, par exemple, on a planté à Cuba, avec labour préalableet emploi d'engrais, plus de 12 000 hectares d'eucalyptus et il estprobable qu'en 1961 on en aura planté le double.Bien que jusqu'alors on ait principalement utilisé Eucalyptus saligna,on s'oriente de plus en plus vers la plantation de Pijius caribaoaqui présente bien plus d'avantages.En réalité, avec ses bonnes terres, son climat chaud et humide,Cuba présente des conditions extraordinairement favorables pourtoutes les cultures tropicales ou subtropicales et pour la forêt.Si la politique ainsi esquissée est mise en oeuvre de façon méthodiqueet selon un plan coordonné, il est probable que Cuba pourra,d'ici 10 à 20 ans, produire une grande partie des matières premièresforestières qu'elle consomme et qui sont nécessaires, en particulier,à la fabrication de sciages, de pâte et de papier, de rayonne, de»anneaux, etc.En même temps, elle économiserait une grande quantité de deviseset donnerait du travail à une population dont une grandepartie n'est active que durant les 100 jours annuels représentés parla durée de la récolte de la canne à sucre et rendrait productifs desterrains qui, actuellement, ne le sont pas.
