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Can An Island Feed Itself?
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Can An Island Feed Itself?

After years of destructive weather that have disrupted Puerto Rico’s food supplies, new visions of local agriculture are taking root.

Moses Velasquez-Manoff
New York Times Magazine, 2022
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Puerto Rico is facing several crises at once – climate change with unpredictable  destructive weather events, population migration, high crime and unemployment rates, loss of food security and dependence on imports. As Moises Velasquez-Manoff reports in The New York Times Magazine, grassroots organic farming is growing in popularity as a solution that could potentially tackle all these crises at once. The island’s experience can be useful to all those seeking to strengthen local economies and minimize reliance on global supply chains.

Take-Aways

  • Grassroots organic farming is gaining strength in Puerto Rico as a possible solution to multiple crises.
  • Puerto Rico has an opportunity to shape its agricultural sector in a more sustainable way and to become more food independent.
  • Agroecological practices can make farms and communities more resilient to severe weather conditions.

About the Author

Moises Velasquez-Manoff is a New York Times Magazine contributing writer. He wrote the book An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases.

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