Cuban Farmer Ivonne Moreno Seeks to Multiply Permaculture Opportunities

“I embraced permaculture as an ideology of life, with a consciousness of caring for the environment and generating as little waste as possible,” says Ivonne Moreno.

For Ivonne Moreno, permaculture goes beyond a method for farming. On her farm, La Luisa, located in Cotorro, she implements it as a way of living sustainably. By growing a variety of fruit trees, vegetables, medicinal plants, and timber trees, she strives to create a space that not only feeds people but also supports the local ecosystem. Moreno believes that permaculture has the potential to transform both urban and rural areas of Cuba into more sustainable communities.

Building a Sustainable Food Forest

Moreno refers to her farm as a “food forest,” a space where multiple plant species thrive together to provide a range of resources including fruits, seeds, flowers, and medicinal products. This diversity also attracts birds, insects, and other species that enrich the soil and enhance biodiversity. She is committed to preserving endangered plant species and using organic fertilizers like manure from a nearby farm. Her approach to farming centers on minimal environmental disruption, allowing nature to regenerate and thrive.

However, Moreno acknowledges that her vision for the food forest has yet to be fully realized. She notes the need for animals that can live freely without competing with humans for food, and that creating such a system requires thoughtful design. Despite these challenges, Moreno remains dedicated to the goal of creating a permaculture environment that fosters sustainability.

Expanding the Permaculture Vision

La Luisa has been a part of Moreno’s life since childhood, and in 2010, she made the decision to live there permanently, reconnecting with nature on a deeper level. Though she began practicing permaculture without fully realizing it, she now sees it as a lifestyle that can be adopted anywhere, from rural land to urban spaces.

Permaculture, as Moreno explains, goes beyond farming—it encompasses a way of designing human settlements that reduce environmental impact. From sustainable agricultural practices to renewable energy and resource management, permaculture offers solutions to the growing environmental crises the world faces today.

Teaching Permaculture and Overcoming Challenges

Moreno and her husband actively teach permaculture principles to others, facilitating workshops and gathering a group of practitioners within their community. La Luisa serves as the headquarters for their local permaculture group, bringing together like-minded individuals who are eager to learn and apply these practices. 

Despite their efforts, the economic difficulties in Cuba have slowed the implementation of more advanced systems like biodigesters and solar panels, which Moreno hopes to add to the farm in the future. She also maintains hives of stingless bees, which provide honey and other valuable products. Her long-term goal is to double the number of hives, but this depends on creating the right conditions for the bees to flourish.

Overcoming Mental and Material Barriers

Permaculture in Cuba still faces several challenges. While family farms produce a large portion of the nation’s food, conventional agriculture practices, which rely on heavy machinery and chemicals, continue to dominate. Moreno points out that there is resistance to change within the agricultural community. People often view new methods with skepticism, even if they prove successful.

One of the major barriers to furthering permaculture in Cuba is access to sustainable technologies, such as solar panels or water recycling systems. These technologies are essential for farms like La Luisa to achieve their full potential, but they remain difficult to obtain due to the country’s economic situation.

Yet, Moreno remains hopeful. She has seen small victories as some neighbors begin to adopt organic fertilizers and show interest in permaculture. Looking ahead, she hopes to build more connections with other like-minded individuals and projects to help expand the practice across Cuba.