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Potential Cuban agricultural export profile under open trade between the U. S. and Cuba

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Abstract

The sweeping changes that have taken place in the Eastern European countries and the former Soviet Union have detrimentally impacted an already weak Cuban economy. The establishment of the Special Period (1990-) embodies increasing austerity, especially in the inputs market. Recent economic liberalization policies in Cuba may lead to a more market-oriented economy, the lifting of the U. S. embargo, and commercial relations between the two countries. There is concern on the potential impact that resumption of trade may have on the U. S. and Florida's agricultural economy. This study implies potential costs for the citrus, sugar, horticultural, and seafood industries in Florida, while potential Florida exports unveil trade opportunities of a large magnitude. Further research is needed to quantify potential benefits and costs. Of special importance is the fate of Cuba's recent program on low-input sustainable agriculture once large amounts of inputs become available.

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Authors
  1. Jose Alvarez
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  2. William A. Messina Jr.
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Additional information

Jose Alvarez is Professor and Extension Economist at the University of Florida's Everglades Research and Extension Center. He has published widely on the Cuban agricultural sector, including the sugar industry. He is an active member of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) and the Sugar Section ofLa Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País, a nonprofit organization based in London and devoted to the research and analysis of economic policies that will aid, speed, and ease Cuba's transition to a market economy.

William A. Messina, Jr. is the Executive Coordinator of the International Agricultural Trade and Policy Center (IATPC) in the Department of Food and Resource Economics, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida. He is the co-principal investigator for the ongoing IATPC collaborative research project on Cuban agriculture funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, whose indispensable support is hereby acknowledged

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Alvarez, J., Messina, W.A. Potential Cuban agricultural export profile under open trade between the U. S. and Cuba. Agric Hum Values 10, 61–74 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02217841

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