Organic Cuba Tours

Tour Information

Ron Berezan has now lead several tours to Cuba providing Canadian farmers, gardeners, permaculture practioners, people involved in food security work, and the “Cuba-curious” an alternative travel experience focusing on face to face encounters with people at the forefront of Cuba’s agro-ecological movement. These tours are a far cry from the “all-inclusive beach resort” experience that most Canadian travellers have in Cuba. Through carefully cultivated relationships with organizations like the Cuban Association of Agricultural Technicians and Foresters (ACTAF) and the Antonio Nunez Jiminez Foundation for Nature and Man (FANJ),

We place our feet on good earth" ACTAF billboard in Havana, Cuba.

Canadian participants on these tours have a unique opportunity to hear the stories of visionary Cuban farmers and to enter into intimate dialogue with them. Our travels take us throughout the countryside visiting ecological farms, cooperatives, and research centres and into the heart of major Cuban cities where the urban agriculture and permaculture movements thrive. Unlike many group travel arrangements, these tours undertake an “experiential education” methodology whereby participants are invited into a process of discovery and integration of all that they encounter. Not only is there ample opportunity for dialogue and reflection with our Cuban friends and colleagues, but the tour participants themselves form a learning community which further enriches their experience.

Canadians learn from Cuban medicinal plants expert, Gallego Ortero.

Ron Berezan is joined in the leadership of these tours by other Canadian and cuban colleagues, including Fernando Funes, one of the key founders and visionaries of the agro-ecological movement in Cuba. Spanish language translation is provided throughout the tour by Ron and others. Accommodation ranges from guest houses to comfortable but modest hotels. Opportunities to enjoy Cuba’s incredible cultural life and natural beauty are integrated into the program itinerary. Many Canadian participants have been able secure funding sources to underwrite the cost of their participation in the program or have been able to include the cost of the trip as a business expense on their income tax returns

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More Infomation

Click here to view the Organic Cuba 2012 program brochure.

We were  touched, moved and inspired by our trip to Cuba.  It was the first time we actually witnessed what sustainable agriculture actually is.  We had a glimpse into what being food secure is about. We loved the people we got to connect with on our trip, those we travelled with and those we met in Cuba.  Everyday offered fun, learning, and something new. ~ Kathleen Charpentier and Richard Griebel,  Farmers from near Castor, Alberta, 2010

This was the best spent money and time – seeing Cuba. A must to promote harmony among nations and an impetus to grow more with  less!” ~ Ruth and Denis Vriend, Farmers from near Edmonton, Alberta, 2010

The most meaningful aspect of the trip was being able to share amazing and memorable  experiences with a group of like-minded people that have become dear  friends. ~ Claudia Bolli. Wild Green Garden Consulting, Edmonton, Alberta, 2010

This is one trip that you cannot plan for yourself.  Ron’s relationships in Cuba  opened doors (and farms) for us that we would never have discovered or been able to access on our own.  We will be forever grateful for this privileged experience of Cuba. ~ Beth and Michael Hunter, Hunter Gatherers Horticultural, Edmonton, Alberta, 2010

I experienced Cuba and the people in a very different way. This is an opportunity seldom afforded to Canadians because of the bridges that Ron has built and the unbelievable access to gardens, farms, co-operatives and research stations. – Mel Huizinga, Edmonton, Alberta 2011

If you’re passionate about sustainably produced, healthy food and urban agriculture that feeds cities and builds community, the Urban Farmer’s Organic Cuba tour is an experience of a lifetime you can’t afford to miss. – Heather Trueman, Saskatoon, 2011

Prepare to be inspired! – Donovan Kitt, Edmonton, Alberta, 2010

Thanks to the Urban Farmer and all of the leadership team who worked so hard to make this 2 week trip provide memories and experiences I will cherish for a life time. - Nick Wolanski, Parkland Conservation Farm, Mundare, Alberta 2011

It was the kind of learning experience that has helped me better feel the footing of the path I’m on, and to see that there are alternatives that are “really working!” I really feel that this experience in Cuba was something quite pivotal in my life…that it “gave” me a new context, new hope, new alternatives…and I’m excited how these elements will enrich not only my own life, but new projects/people/ideas to come into the future. – Trina Moyles, Change for Children Association, Edmonton, 2011

The Organic Cuba Tour was an amazing experience for me. It opened my eyes not only to a whole new culture, but a whole new way of looking at food production both rurally and in urban spaces. There is so much we can learn from Cuba and apply in Canada. It was truly an inspirational and life changing experience for me, and I am so, so, so glad that I decided to participate! – Vanessa Hanel, Drumheller, Alberta, 2011

This tour is ideal for those who wish to see wise food policies in action.  For anyone having an interest in organics, food security or sustainable production, this tour will open your eyes.  Inspiring! – Jerry Kitt, First Nature Farms, Goodfare,  Alberta, 2009, 2010, 2011