Talk by Roberto Perez at Ryton 12th Sept 2008

Some notes from Robin - unfinished work in progress and open for others' contributions.

Roberto Perez featured on the DVD The Power of Community about Cuba overcoming the enormous challenge of losing its oil & fertiliser supply as well as its markets for its historical industrially farmed plantation crops when the Soviet Union collapsed.

The DVD illustrates very well the parallels with what the world is facing with Peak Oil, how significant localness, bottom up change and a shift to permaculture and organic vegetable production is to the "power down process".

Roberto was able to give much more background on the state of soil degradation, deforestation and meat dominated diet that they faced in making the transition. Also the hardships people faced that acted as a great collective spur to do things differently.

They had to completely reinvent their agricultural practices and were greatly helped by the outside help from permaculture teachers who assisted with a massive train the trainers effort.

He had a lovely phrase about using good outside thinking and applying it with local flavour. It was very appropriate as they also used well known chefs to re-educate people on how to use and cook all the new vegetables.