Youth participation for rural development: Analysis of a cuban case in agricultural cooperatives

Abstract

In Cuba, young people are fundamental actors in agricultural cooperatives for food sustainability at the local level. However, in some rural provinces of the island, the implementation of rural development strategies achieves limited results in terms of youth participation in the agricultural cooperative sector. In this research, the participation of young people in agricultural cooperatives is analyzed from the case study of the municipality of Cifuentes, in the province of Villa Clara: three synthetic indices were established to account for a low youth participation in that territory, with causes that include generational tensions within the cooperatives themselves, the emergence of new local sources of employment that are more economically attractive for young people, the aging of the population and mobility towards other productive sectors of the country. Based on these evidences, the article indicates some strategies to promote youth participation in agricultural cooperatives and thus promote sustainable rural development.