Cuba implements agricultural reforms to enhance food security

Cuba is implementing significant legal and economic reforms to its agricultural sector to bolster food security amid inflation, fuel shortages, and external economic pressures. On September 9, 2026, the Official Gazette published twenty new legal provisions, headlined by Law 185, “De Tierra Agropecuaria y Forestal,” which was approved by the National Assembly in July.

While the state maintains ownership of the land, the new regulations expand the usufruct regime. This allows individuals, legal entities, state-owned, private, and mixed enterprises to access land for production. Under the new framework, agricultural companies can coordinate with cooperatives to grant land without specific limits on hectares or exploitation time, provided the applicant demonstrates a viable productive proposal.

Key changes include granting cooperatives the autonomy to manage foreign trade transactions, obtain bank financing, and set prices. Additionally, self-employed workers, MSMEs (mipymes), and foreign investors may now request land allocations. These measures aim to increase productive capacity and allow producers to sell at market prices and export directly.