A decrepit street in Trinidad, Cuba showing signs of the economic decline in Cuba since the collapse of the Soviet Union

The Special Period in Peacetime (Spanish: Período especial en tiempo de paz) in Cuba was an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and, by extension, the Comecon. The economic depression of the Special Period was at its most severe in the early-to-mid 1990s before gradually declining in severity towards the end of the decade. It was defined primarily by the severe shortages of hydrocarbon energy resources in the form of gasoline, diesel, and other oil derivatives that occurred upon the implosion of economic agreements between the oil-rich Soviet Union and Cuba. The period radically transformed the Cuban society and economy, as it necessitated the successful introduction of sustainable agriculture, decreased use of automobiles, and overhauls of industry, health, and diet countrywide. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 405 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 405 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Trinidad, pop. ... Economics (deriving from the Greek words οίκω [okos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules hence household management) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. ... A crisis (plural: crises) is a turning point or decisive moment in events. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... A Soviet poster reading COMECON: Unity of Goals, Unity of Action The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON / Comecon / CMEA / CEMA), 1949 – 1991, was an economic organization of communist states and a kind of Eastern Bloc equivalent to—but more inclusive than—the European Economic Community. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Oil refineries are key to obtaining hydrocarbons; crude oil is processed through several stages to form desirable hydrocarbons, used in fuel and other commercial products. ... Petrol redirects here. ... This article is about the fuel. ... Synthetic motor oil For other uses, see Oil (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Small-scale agriculture be merged into this article or section. ... “Car” and “Cars” redirect here. ...

Overview

The decline of the Special Period was sharp. Contractual shipments of crude oil that had been tankered in from the Soviet Union no longer arrived in Cuba after 1991, and by the next year the Cuban economy was importing and utilizing only around 10% of the crude oil that it had been importing prior to the collapse. Cuban president Fidel Castro appeared on Cuban national television to alert Cubans about imminent energy shortages a week before his government received notice from Russia that it had no intention of shipping the quota of discounted crude oil that had been guaranteed to Cuba by the Soviet Union. The oil shortages quickly caused extensive loss of productivity in both Cuban agriculture — which was dominated by modern industrial tractors, combines, and harvesters, all of which required oil to run — and in Cuban industrial capacity. Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and elaion – oil or Latin oleum – oil ) or crude oil is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... A Caterpillar LEXION Combine. ... Harvester can refer to: A bioinformatic metasearch engine. ...

The early stages of the Special Period were defined by a general breakdown in transportation and agricultural sectors, fertilizer and pesticide stocks (both of those being manufactured primarily from oil derivatives), and widespread food shortages, although outright starvation and famine were averted. Australian and other permaculturists arriving in Cuba at the time began to distribute aid and taught their techniques to locals, who soon implemented them in Cuban fields, raised beds, and urban rooftops across the nation. Organic agriculture was soon after mandated by the Cuban government, supplanting the old industrialized form of agriculture Cubans had grown accustomed to. Relocalization, permaculture, and innovative modes of mass transit had to be rapidly developed. This article is about extreme malnutrition. ... <nowiki>Insert non-formatted text hereBold text</nowiki>A famine is a social and economic crisis that is commonly accompanied by widespread malnutrition, starvation, epidemic and increased mortality. ... Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design. ... Organic farming is a way of farming that avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and usually subscribes to the principles of sustainable agriculture. ... Permaculture Mandala summarising the ethics and principles of permaculture design. ... In the United States of America, transit describes local area common carrier passenger transportation configured to provide scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis. ...

The Cuban government was also forced to contract out more lucrative economic and tourism deals with various Western European and South American nations, in an attempt to earn the foreign currency necessary to replace the lost Soviet oil via the international capitalist markets. Additionally faced with a near-elimination of imported steel and other ore-based supplies, Cuba closed refineries and factories across the country, eliminating the country's industrial arm and many of jobs. Alternative transportation, most notably the Cuban "camels" — immense 18-wheeler tractor trailers retrofitted as busses to carry many dozens of Cubans each — flourished. Meat and dairy products, having been extremely fossil fuel dependent in their former factory farming methods, soon diminished in the Cuban diet. By necessity Cubans adopted diets higher in fiber, fresh produce, and ultimately more vegan in character than before the period. No longer needing sugar as desperately for a cash crop — the oil-for-sugar program the Soviets had with Cuba had, of course, dissipated — Cuba hurriedly diversified its agricultural production, utilizing former cane fields to grow fruit and vegetables. The Cuban government also focused more intensely on cooperation with Venezuela once the Socialist Hugo Chávez was elected president in 1998. Tourist redirects here. ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Ore (disambiguation). ... The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed. ... Fiber or fibre[1] is a class o f materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. ... Hens kept in cramped conditions — the avoidance of animal suffering is the primary motivation of people who become vegans A vegan is a person who avoids the ingestion or use of animal products. ... This article is about sugar as food and as an important and widely traded commodity. ... In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for money. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Vegetable (disambiguation). ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ...

After the Special Period

As the country began to recover more visibly from the shock of the implosion of their economic underpinning, Castro gradually told the Cuban people that this "Special Period" was over; that it had succeeded in generally maintaining the long life expectancies and health statistics of the nation — figures roughly equivalent to those enjoyed in the United States — and that the country was therefore (relatively) prosperous once again. However, island Cubans continue to live at a much lower overall standard of living than they did before 1991. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these services and goods are distributed within a population. ...

Quotes

"More than 820 million people in the world suffer from hunger; and 790 million of them live in the Third World" - Fidel Castro

See also

• Economy of Cuba
• Rationing in Cuba
• Hubbert peak theory
• The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

The economy of Cuba is a largely state-controlled, planned economy overseen by the Cuban government, though there remains significant foreign investment and enterprise in Cuba. ... A street vendor in Havana Rationing in Cuba refers to the system of food distribution known in Cuba as the Libreta de Abastecimiento (Supplies booklet). The system establishes the rations each person is allowed to buy and the frequency of supplies. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Peak oil and Hubbert peak theory, accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

External links

• Cuba: Life After Oil