1. Behavioral Economics*Food Production and Distribution from an
Island Perspective 2. [T]ano were agricultural peoplecassava,
squash, sweet potatoes and other tubers, such as yautamaize,
beans[they] grew their root crops in artificial mounds of loose
earth called conucosmamey, papaya and pineapplesachiote, tobacco
and cottonsupplemented diet by hunting and fishing (turtles,
manatees, fish, birds, oysters) AnPre ColumbianIntroduction to
Taino Culture and History, RicardoPeriod:AlegraArawakPeople,
IslandHopped fromVenezuela to theNorthern Caribbeanbasin and
broughtcultigens fromnorthern SouthAmerica and
otherMesoamericanpeople.Researchersindicate there is [T]ano needed
to increase agricultural productionevidence of limitedcommerce to
thein order to support a large population on a limitedmainland and
theamount of land 3. Spanish Conquistadors brought large animal,
fruits (citrus, and vegetables known to Europeans. Early on, along
with the slave trade, bananas and plantains, ginger, okra and other
products known to Africa were also brought to Puerto Rico. Later on
coffee, cacao, sugarcane and spices were introduced to the Island.
Turtles, Queen Conch and other seafood were exploited for local
sustainability.ColonizationPeriod:As newcultivars
anddomesticatedanimals werebrought intoPuertoRico, tradewith
Europeincreased assugar, coffee,cacao andtobacco wereshipped
toSpain and itsTerritories. 4. In the early 1900s new breeds of
cattle and plants were introduced by the US military. Food
Technology Research had a strong part in the 1940s and 50s. Massive
projects of Irrigation and drainage canals were built increasing
total arable land. Several Hurricanes devastated plantations.
Advent of Refrigeration allowed for perishables to move across the
Atlantic Ocean.US Occupation:New technologyand investmentallowed
for anincreased tradewith thenortheast US.Sugarcane
andTobaccodominated.Coffee was stillexported toEurope.
Highproductionallowed tosatisfy localdemand. 5. At present time, it
is estimated that 80% of all food consumed in PR comes from
elsewhere. Agriculture and food processing have not kept pace with
population growth at home nor abroad. In the 1950s Puerto Rico
departed from an agrarian based economy to a manufacturing based
one. Population moved from Rural areas to the San Juan Metro Area
looking for better opportunities.PR Today:3.7 Million People2.1
Million Acres8% arable land4% permanent crops7.2% val. added
mfg.60% pop. on SNAPEven though greatadvances intechnology
andinfrastructure havetaken place, exportsfrom Puerto Ricohave
fallendramatically.Mangoes and finishedfoods are exported. 6. * an
integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a
site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy
human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the
natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends;
make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm
resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological
cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm
operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society
as a whole. Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683
(1990) [Emphasis added]* 7. * USDAs Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education 3 pillars:* Profit over the long term;*
Stewardship of our nations land, air and water and;* Quality of
life for farmers, ranchers and theircommunities.* American Planning
Associations Sustainable Food Systems:* relationships between
sectors (from production towaste disposal) and characteristics
(health-promoting, sustainable, resilient, diverse, fair,
economically balanced, and transparent) of the system. * 8. *
Challenges pursuing sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico:* High
costs of production(labor, environmental, energy);* No vertical
integration of the food cluster (lack oftrust among players,
inadequate governmentintervention);* Lack of conservationist and
entrepreneurial culture(isolationism, subsidy dependency,
complexmanagement).* The benefits, both here and elsewhere, are
unquestionable although a unique recipe needs to be adopted case by
case.* 9. * In order to achieve a sustainable food system, the
first building block to overcome the challenges we face in Puerto
Rico, is entrepreneurship.* In the words of Jim Collins (From Good
to Great), First Who, Then What. Whos engaging in food related
activities?* Ethical, Disciplined, Intellectual, Thorough,
Innovative People* What needs to be in place in order to promote
entrepreneurialism? * 10. * Dan Isenberg, Babson College, promoted
during the Puerto Rico Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Project 13
elements that must be in place in order to achieve economic
development:* leadership;* Government as facilitator;* culture;*
entrepreneur success stories;* the availability of human capital in
terms of skilled andunskilled;* Financial capital;* non-government
organizations (NGOs) that are working tosupport entrepreneurship;*
11. * educational institutions;* infrastructure;* the presence of
economic clusters;* the availability of networks that can be made
up of thediaspora, entrepreneurs and multinational corporations;*
support services in terms of the availability of goodlegal and
accounting firms and investment bankers;*and early customers who
are available to support acompanys products and services.* 12. *
The scope of Government in recent years has been that of promoting
agripreneurs through:* Agribusiness coursework for farmers through
SBTDCs and UPR programs as pre condition to incentives;* Creating
High Yield, High Quality models;* Investing in applied research to
solve issues pertaining tropical agriculture;* Providing incentives
for renewable energy infrastructure;* Assisting to organize a Food
Cluster;* Reaching out to consumers through Market Farmers and
Media Campaigns to Buy Local. * 13. * Puerto Rico has gone from
subsistence agriculture, toagri industry (late 1800s and early
1900s), agrarianreform (1940s), centralized planning (early60s),
government as producer (1970s), subsidizedagriculture (1980s), to a
somewhat market drivenagriculture (1990s), to an attempt of coop
model inthe early 2000s along with all of the preceding.* Most
recently, an effort to achieve a truly marketeconomy driven
agriculture has taken place, this timewith a twist as we considered
the social, congnitiveand emotional factors on economic decisions
(bothindividuals and organizations) and the consequencesfor market
prices, returns and resource allocation asthe new trend of
economics is defined. * 14. Emerging OpportunitiesCommerce to
mainlandcities with high Puerto Canada Rican population.Smart
InstitutionalGuys with bigEngagement atMarkets (Schooltrucks who
the Districts) dare to cook! supermarket * 15. * Farmers Market*
Mercado Urbano* Urban Farmers Market in affluent area of San
Juanwith several editions across the island.* Placita en Plaza*
Farmers Market inside Caribbeans largest ShoppingMall.* Harvest of
Puerto Rico* Seal of Quality and Media Campaign * 16. * 17. * Risk:
The Politics of Fear, by Dan Gardner.* An old trend is lurking
around these days: FEAR.* shortage on food supplies, climate
change, food recalls, epidemics.* Particular responses are expected
from these potential threats.* For Puerto Rico, in the 1930s having
100% of food produced on the islandmeant a threat on food security
because of hurricanes. The solution:Imports.* Also, around that
time, the US faced a very limited purchasing power ofthe American
people. The Solution: Welfare.* During the Cold War Era the threat
was a nuclear attack and foodavailability in shelters over long
periods: The Solution: Canned Food.* Nowadays, here we face the
concern of a disabling earthquake that mayprevent ships from
docking and hence cut the chain of supply. TheSolution: Produce
100% of food locally until the next hurricane hits!* While crises
occurs, what? The best way to avoid crises is taking careof
opportunities. *
