Varadero, Matanzas, Mar 12 (ACN) Olyra Guzmán Proenza is a 26-year-old Cuban with a degree in Geography who presented an innovative project focused on boosting agriculture in Cuba at the World Youth Summit of the International Telecommunication Union in this seaside resort city.
This young woman was involved in the introduction of new agricultural methods for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, including phyto- and zoogenetic resources, in productive landscapes in selected areas of Cuba (Cobimas); she is currently working in four protected areas, but the goal is to expand the program to other sites in the future.
Guzmán Proenza, in an exclusive conversation with the Cuban News Agency, said that the main objective of the project, which she is developing together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, through the introduction of the so-called sustainable intensification of agricultural production.
For the adaptation and rescue of plant and animal species of global importance for food and agriculture, she participates in the first component of this project, which refers to the mapping and knowledge of the genetic resources of these areas, creating a database, a geographic information system and defining which farms conserve and produce traditional varieties.
The expert explained that these areas (located in Ciénaga de Zapata, Las Tunas and other localities) constitute a genetic refuge against the effects of climate change, because they are varieties that, by not leaving their natural environment, evolve in relation to the environment and are more adaptable to pests, floods, effects of tropical hurricanes, among other phenomena.
Olyra, in his presentation today at the Summit, stressed the importance of understanding how technologies, such as precision agriculture and the use of satellite images, can help to face the challenges of climate change in agriculture.
He also stressed the importance of the exchange in raising awareness among farmers of the value of traditional crop varieties and animal breeds, which have valuable genetic potential in the face of climate change.
She argued that, although these varieties are not as profitable in the short term, their genetic wealth is crucial for future food security, and also announced the creation of mini-industries to produce products such as juices and ham from endemic pigs, which generates an added value that makes the conservation of these species more attractive by providing economic income to farmers.
The innovative project advocated by the young geographer helps to combine environmental conservation with economic viability, encouraging farmers to maintain and protect their genetic heritage.
(Taken from ACN)
