The Italian Development Cooperation Agency (AICS) in Havana and the Italian NGOs Arcs and Cisp, are presenting the Linea Verde Project tomorrow in Cuba, an AICS-funded initiative that aims to promote healthy food and energy from renewable sources, especially forest biomass.
The initiative has two main, closely interconnected components. The first concerns the nutritional component, led by the Protein Plant Research Centre (Cipb) and supported by AICS Havana, and aims to ensure the food security of vulnerable communities through the provision of food with high nutritional value and the development of the Moringa and other protein plants supply chain in the Pinar del Río and Havana areas. The second aims at the renewable energy component, developed in collaboration with researchers from Inaf, the NGO Arcs Solidali Cultures, Minag, Inifat, the Italian NGO Cisp and the University of Pinar del Rio, focuses on the creation of resilient, sustainable and self-sufficient communities through the use of renewable energy sources. The 'Linea Verde' project plans to directly benefit more than 3,000 people, including the workers of Ubp 'El Pitirre', Los Palacios and the Macurije Agroforestry Company.
"Green Line reaffirms the ongoing commitment of AICS and its partners to improve the quality of life of local communities through sustainable and resilient practices. This project not only offers practical solutions for food and energy security, but also strengthens our alliance with cooperation actors, in this case Cubans and Italians, to build a more resilient and self-sufficient future,' says AICS Havana office director Antonio Festa.
The total funding of the project amounts to EUR 3 million for nutrition and EUR 1.6 million for energy and lasts 36 months. The initiative will benefit the population of the intervention municipalities: Guane, Mantua and Los Palacios (Pinar del Rio) and La Lisa and Playa (Havana).
'Linea Verde' represents an important step towards strengthening the resilience and sustainability of communities. Thanks to the innovative energy community model and the use of Moringa and other beneficial plants, the project is a potentially replicable intervention in other regions of the country.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
