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Objective: o reflect about the importance of the supportability of agroproductive systems and of their contribution to local development in Cuba, from an economic, ecological and sociocultural approach. Materials and Methods: This study, of exploratory, analytical and descriptive type, is based on the bibliographic review of the concepts sustainable and supportable systems, bioeconomy, agroecology and development programs in local contexts. For such purpose, different information sources, scientific papers published about the topic and literature produced by national and international organisms, were consulted and analyzed, in order to know about the state-of-the-art of the object of study and to concrete necessary definitions and strategies for the implementation of supportable systems in the framework of agricultural programs. Results: It was corroborated that supportability is a way of living and producing in harmony with the environment, to guarantee that future generations can satisfy their needs. From its multifunctionality, supportability can be a tool in supportable local development, from the commitment to agrifood models based on agroecology, bioeconomy and food sovereignty. Conclusions: In Cuba it would be pertinent to establish local strategies to improve people's quality of life and preserve the environment, from an agroecological and supportable approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to facilitate the understanding about the relevance of the actors' perceptions for social change and sustainability of the transformations that are executed in the municipal agricultural sector, in the face of the complexity of current scenarios. The analysis and reflection are derived from the experience obtained during more than 15 years of field work, with tools that promote participation and interdisciplinarity in the analyses, by the research line of Agricultural and Sustainable Local Development of the Pastures and Forages Research Station Indio Hatuey, in agroproductive entities, municipalities and localities, with the contribution of their key actors. For the study the information regarding the officials, workers and decision makers' perceptions were considered; statistical documents associated to the agricultural productions of the territories were also analyzed. As a result it was observed that the established institutionality should be reformed, because it slows down the concretion of the transformation projects and actions. From this, it can be concluded that the knowledge and understanding about the analyzed actors' perceptions at municipal-local level remarkably limit that the projection and implementation of the changes are favorably visualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the continuation of the one published in Pastos y Forrajes, no. 1, 2016, in which the general bases of a selection of currently internationally available methodologies for the dynamic evaluation of production systems, are offered. This part describes the methodologies Integral Energy Evaluation (EMERGY) and Systems' Trajectory; and also a concrete example is provided of the application of the principles of these methods in the construction of an integral evaluation model of farming systems, called GAMEDE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work briefly reviews the literature that supports the analysis of the aspects related to the evolution of territorial and agricultural transformations in Cuba. Reference is made to the role of the State in the implementation of strategies to support the development processes in the Cuban countryside, in an international context which sometimes favors, and occasionally limits, the performance of the agricultural structure and the rural areas of the nation. The paper also examines the potentials of the municipality as strategic scenario to promote sustainable alternatives of agricultural production which guarantee --among other aspects-- food security, employment generation and the rational use of natural resources, from the articulation of the agricultural sector with management of the local government. All this occurs in a context of decentralized transformations and in which different types of producers coexist, also organized in a diverse way. The integrated agroproductive and rural development model, with territorial vision, is visualized to be starting and under experimentation, and the flexibility and diversity with which the process occurs will allow to adjust the model and adapt it to the characteristics of the territories and the different stakeholders, according to the national development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pastos y Forrajes is the official journal of the Ministry of Higher Education for the livestock production sector. The objective of this paper is to show how this publication emerged and how it has evolved in correspondence with the transformations of the livestock production sector and information technologies. The structure of its Editorial Board, the topics included, the need for its periodical evaluation are reported as well as the role played in the training of professionals, the dissemination of scientific results and the exchange with other publications. It is concluded that the staff should work to achieve higher excellence indexes, maintain the accreditation granted by the Cuban Academy of Sciences, as well as increase the national and international visibility of the journal through a continuous improvement process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]