Abstract

SUAREZ-HERNANDEZ, Jesús et al. Innovation processes in local food and energy production in Cuban municipalities. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2018, vol.41, n.4, pp.237-242. ISSN 0864-0394.

The objective of the work is to make an analysis of the diverse innovation processes in the local integrated food and energy production in Cuban rural areas in the context of the Biomas-Cuba project¹. For the identification and evaluation of the local innovation process in the integrated food and energy production (IFEP), three questions were established: 1) what innovation processes have been developed or introduced?, 2) What has the link consisted in?, and 3) Which have been the key learnings? The IFEP is promoted for the development of agroenergetic farms, which has been implemented in private farms, cooperatives and state farms, in 22 municipalities of six Cuban provinces. They concentrate two types of innovation: i) sowing and agronomic management of Jatropha curcas L. for biodiesel production, and ii) integration of biodigesters in animal and plant production farms. In addition, 176 biodigesters were designed and constructed, mainly fixed-dome ones, and two anaerobic lagoons covered with synthetic geomembrane. In the organizational context there was a link among research centers, municipal universities, governments and local state entities, and professional and farmer organizations. It is concluded that the promotion of local innovation processes in agroenergy, in Cuban municipalities, contributes to a new strategic approach for the IFEP from biomass in rural areas, in the framework of local innovation systems, with high participation of actors, open innovation processes and a science-productive sector-government link.

Keywords : bioenergy; extension; food production.

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