Two Cubans Combine Fishing, Farming for Better Food Production
2023-10-06
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Cuba is undergoing economic crisis and shortages.
2This can make even simple efforts like fishing or farming complex.
3That is why two young Cuban businessmen decided to turn to aquaponics to get better results and increase the amount of food available on the island nation.
4Aquaponics is a practice that uses wastewater from fish farming to grow food plants in a soil-less environment.
5It brings together fishing and farming in a way that is both efficient and environmentally friendly.
6Joel Lopez, co-owner of JoJo Aquaponics, said the practice is a perfect fit for Cuba.
7"From fish to the production of food plants, everything is natural," he said while showing visitors the building where JoJo Aquaponics farms, outside of Havana, the capital of Cuba.
8At the end of the month, the harvest includes both a protein from the fish, and a vegetable green - all without the use of expensive chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.
9Cuba is facing its worst economic downturn in many years.
10Shortages of food, medicine and fuel have led the government to seek help from businesses in finding new solutions.
11But businesses face a difficult environment in Cuba.
12The trade ban enforced by the United States makes doing business complex.
13And the Cuban government only recently permitted private businesses.
14Jose Martinez is a co-owner of JoJo Aquaponics.
15He said aquaponics is costly and it has been difficult to raise money for the project.
16Martinez added that his business received some money from local government, though it was not enough.
17Even with the barriers, many Cubans increasingly believe private businesses will succeed in a country where the average person earns less than $20 a month.
18I'm Gena Bennett.
1Cuba is undergoing economic crisis and shortages. This can make even simple efforts like fishing or farming complex. 2That is why two young Cuban businessmen decided to turn to aquaponics to get better results and increase the amount of food available on the island nation. 3Aquaponics is a practice that uses wastewater from fish farming to grow food plants in a soil-less environment. It brings together fishing and farming in a way that is both efficient and environmentally friendly. 4Joel Lopez, co-owner of JoJo Aquaponics, said the practice is a perfect fit for Cuba. "From fish to the production of food plants, everything is natural," he said while showing visitors the building where JoJo Aquaponics farms, outside of Havana, the capital of Cuba. 5At the end of the month, the harvest includes both a protein from the fish, and a vegetable green - all without the use of expensive chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. 6Cuba is facing its worst economic downturn in many years. Shortages of food, medicine and fuel have led the government to seek help from businesses in finding new solutions. 7But businesses face a difficult environment in Cuba. The trade ban enforced by the United States makes doing business complex. And the Cuban government only recently permitted private businesses. 8Jose Martinez is a co-owner of JoJo Aquaponics. He said aquaponics is costly and it has been difficult to raise money for the project. Martinez added that his business received some money from local government, though it was not enough. 9Even with the barriers, many Cubans increasingly believe private businesses will succeed in a country where the average person earns less than $20 a month. 10I'm Gena Bennett. 11Alien Fernandez reported this story for Reuters. Gena Bennett adapted it for VOA Learning English. 12_________________________________________________ 13Words in This Story 14efficient-adj. preventing waste 15fertilizer-n. a chemical substance added to increase fertility 16pesticide-n. a chemical or biological substance that protects from harmful organisms