Achieving, as quickly as possible, food security and sovereignty and reducing the high volumes of imports in this vital sector requires integrating the different forms of production present today in Cuban agriculture, applying science and innovation.

Although for a time a certain antagonism prevailed between those who saw the use of agroecology as the way to achieve the stated purpose and those who were committed to genetically modified crops, currently the consensus prevails that both alternatives complement each other and that each, from its field, is in a position to contribute a lot to food production.

[Dr. Mario Pablo Estrada Garcia, director of Agricultural Research at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB)] stressed that, given the impacts of climate change and the growth of the world population, agricultural biotechnology becomes a valid option to advance toward food security and the sustainable development of the planet.

He pointed out that the safety of transgenic crops is endorsed by numerous scientific institutions and international entities, including the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the International Union of Nutritional Sciences to name a few.

[Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Spanish and has been translated and edited for clarity.]

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