As you now know, my experience in both of these places were very different despite the overall theme of food insecurity. Not only are the ways that food insecurity work in both places different, but my actual experience in both places were also different. While Cuba was a study abroad trip, one that did not specifically have to do with food insecurity, Each Green Corner functioned as a space where I could learn about and work with these food gardens in the greater context of food insecurity. Regardless of the differences, the two experiences channeled into each other and shaped my overall experience in a very lucrative way.
Spending so many months in Cuba really fueled my passion for working at Each Green Corner. Although I was working on data that was unrelated to Cuba specifically, the impact of the work seemed so much clearer. For instance, as mentioned before, food diversity is a huge part of Each Green Corner's statement of purpose and it's one of the biggest things I observed in Cuba as well. While these two countries most definitely operate differently governmentally and financially, the struggles they have with food go back to the same set of fundamental issues: systemic inequality.
Diverse food and culturally diverse foods, more specifically, cost money. Each Green Corner is slowly dispersing those diverse crops on a small scale, but it makes sense that it's small because of how expensive it is. People with money, who are usually people that aren't systemically marginalized, are able to pay for the foods, and people without money are unable to. Of course, in Cuba there is a whole other layer of not having access to important resources because of its place politically and its relationships with other countries. However, I think it's important to understand the ways that the two countries are similar because everyone has a right to nutritious food.
As of now, Each Green Corner is continuing to work on a few counties in California, and hopefully other groups that have similar motives see the work they're doing and join forces. Over the last few months I've been sifting through volunteer data from all of their events including living campus events, senior garden events, residential events, backyard harvest days, farmers markets, and other volunteer opportunities. While their volunteer numbers are on the lower end, they're consistence and that is always key. I hope to maintain my relationship with Each Green Corner and I have plans to return to Cuba next fall. Thank you for following my journey!