« Would cocaine legalization help Colombia? | Main | Markets in everything, Australian surfer dude edition »
The legacy of Fidel Castro
Cuban agriculture was transformed from the early 1960s with Soviet and East European agricultural machinery and supplies, resulting in a downgrading of animal traction. But the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989 led the Cuban government to develop an animal traction programme. The agricultural horse population recovered, but the main focus was on oxen. They were bred and trained in large numbers, and the technical infrastructure needed to use them was built up. The recovery in the number of oxen was spectacular. They had fallen from 500,000 in 1960 to 163,000 in 1990 but increased to 380,000 in the late 1990s. They replaced 40,000 tractors.
That is from David Edgerton's The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900, an intermittently excellent book.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on January 18, 2007 at 07:10 AM in History | Permalink
Comments
Which produces more atmospheric carbon?
10 farting oxen or 1 tractor?
:-D
Posted by: Ivan at Jan 18, 2007 10:59:29 AM
The tractor, because any carbon that the oxen exudes came from plants that absorbed carbon from the atmosphere.
Now the oxen wili fart more methane and less CO2 than the tractor so the difference on the greenhouse effect is not clear.
Posted by: bertram at Jan 18, 2007 12:39:34 PM
AHHHH, paradise, yet the lefties never wanted to live there.
Oh, well, there's always Venzuela and Nicaragua.
Yet they'll never move there, either.
Posted by: Sandy P at Jan 18, 2007 12:45:50 PM
How about this?
Which is more productive? One solid tractor or 1,000 oxen?
I'll take John Deere any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Posted by: Varangy at Jan 18, 2007 12:49:42 PM
As I understand it animal traction causes a farmer to put up to 1/3 of his acrage in food crops for the animals. I would assume this is a real reduction in agriculture productivity.
Methane is also a greenhouse gas. I read somewhere that termites are the largest source of methane.
Posted by: DILBERT DOGBERT at Jan 18, 2007 12:52:28 PM
As Dilbert Dogbert pointed out, land productivity decreases. Greens might not mind that because the alternative is fossil fuels. I don't know how much land would be needed to grow biofuels for tractors.
Labor productivity decreases substantially if you replace tractors with draft animals. Greens might not mind this because they subscribe to the "lump of labor" theory. They must have a point .. the 35% of the people in the US who used to grow our food are now unemployed [except for the 2% we still employ in farming], I assume :-) .
-dk
Posted by: Dick King at Jan 18, 2007 3:39:16 PM
Varangy: you cannot argue like that, it depends on how you equip oxen and tractors with labor. For example, one tractor with one driver is definitely more productive than a herd of 1000 oxen with one herder. The problem is that oxen are definitely more labor intensive than tractors... this is a huge waste of human resources.
Posted by: pinus at Jan 18, 2007 10:19:12 PM
Other legacies of Castro:
- thousands of opponents killed simply by the fact they do not obey the government
- thousands of people risking their lives to escape their own country (are they all crazy??) on small boats heading to Miami...
- a lively country transformed in a brainwashed, fearful society living in misery (but, of course, it's all "America's fault"... )
- Physicians living with 27 dollars/month (and there are people who really believe that Cuba has one of the best health systems in the world)
and there's much more. Just dig in.
By the way, the private sector does work there. Prostitution is at its highest
Posted by: Guevara at Jan 19, 2007 10:04:52 PM
It's a matter of balance. If oxen produce enough food to feed the populous, certainly that would be more environmentally friendly. To produce a tractor takes more of your resources than does one oxen.
Posted by: W.D. Reed, Jr. at Jan 20, 2007 12:27:13 AM
Don't exceed the recommended dose or Buy Tramadol for longer than prescribed.
If you experience difficulty breathing or tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips; or develop a rash or hives, tell the doctor immediately.
Don't exceed the recommended dose or Purchase Tramadol for longer than prescribed. If you experience difficulty breathing or tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips; or develop a rash or hives, tell the doctor immediately. Do not Buy any more
Tramadol Tabs unless the doctor tells you to do so. Avoid alcohol while you are using this remedy.
Tramadol Ultram will add to the effects of alcohol and other depressants. Don't drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this cure. Using Tramadol Ultram alone, with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen the ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks.
Posted by: Alesse at Apr 23, 2007 12:23:16 PM
Great site please visit in my site Tramadol today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: ULTRAM at Apr 26, 2007 11:27:57 AM
hey, Great site please visit in my site GENERIC SOMA today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: SOMA CARISOPRODOL at May 5, 2007 9:15:42 AM
hey, Great site please visit in my site GENERIC SOMA today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: SOMA CARISOPRODOL at May 6, 2007 12:41:25 PM
Great site please visit in my site GENERIC SOMA today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: SOMA CARISOPRODOL at May 11, 2007 1:54:38 PM
Great site please visit in my site GENERIC SOMA today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: SOMA CARISOPRODOL at May 13, 2007 12:44:20 PM
Great site please visit in my site TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORID today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: Generic fioircet at May 19, 2007 12:46:07 PM
Great site please visit in my site Buy Tramadol today just for couple of minutes
Posted by: BUTALBITAL DRUG at May 22, 2007 8:49:19 AM
herbals@durgs.com
Posted by: herbal viagra at Jun 1, 2007 9:36:51 AM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: last longer at Jun 2, 2007 4:31:59 AM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: ways to last longer in bed at Jun 2, 2007 6:21:25 AM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: best penis enlargement at Jun 2, 2007 7:56:01 AM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: free penis enlargement exercises at Jun 2, 2007 9:43:29 AM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: free penis enlargement at Jun 2, 2007 11:22:57 AM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: penis enlargement at Jun 2, 2007 4:35:48 PM
herbals@drugs.com
Posted by: herbal viagra at Jun 3, 2007 3:22:44 AM
