Ella Zhao traces Cuba’s food rationing system, which was once seen as a symbol of revolutionary ideals—equality and access to essential goods—but has since struggled to meet the population’s evolving needs. By highlighting the gap between socialist aspirations and the realities of everyday life, Ella argues that what began as a tool for social equity now stands as a stark reminder of the disconnect between revolutionary ideals and the growing human rights challenges in Cuba.
Cuba’s revolutionary journey has been represented through its economic and social reforms, with the food rationing system standing as a key symbol of this legacy. Established in 1962 amid a U.S.-imposed embargo, the system was designed to embody socialist ideals by ensuring all citizens had access to essential goods at subsidised prices. While it initially helped secure food access for the population, the system has drifted away from its human rights foundations over time. Economic hardships, shifting global alliances, and political pressures have exposed the limitations of maintaining equitable food distribution, revealing how the system no longer fully meets the population’s evolving needs.
Food rationing: a material expression of the Cuban Revolution
Although Cuba declared independence in 1902, economic control remained mainly in the hands of U.S. interests, with sectors like sugar, mining, and oil dominated by foreign capital. The Cuban Revolution aimed to break free from these ties and create a self-reliant, equitable society. Following nationalisation policies in 1959, Castro’s government introduced a series of social programmes, including the food rationing system, which promised to ensure food for all in response to the U.S. embargo.
Under the rationing system, each Cuban receives a ration card to buy a limited amount of food each month from government bodegas (ration stations) at subsidised prices. During the early post-revolution years, refectories also appeared at workplaces, where workers and managers ate the same meals, symbolising a shared commitment to equality. These practices helped forge a collective socialist consciousness, reinforcing values of equity and commonality through daily eating routines.
The decades immediately following the Revolution are remembered as the zenith of socialism in Cuba. With economic support from the Soviet Union, including favourable trade terms for sugar and access to inexpensive crude oil, Cuba experienced a period of relative prosperity. Soviet food imports replaced American goods, and a wider range of foods became accessible. For many Cubans, this era evokes fond memories of “canned fruits, Russian cakes, and sweets” and a time when access to food was not as restricted. These memories represent not only a nostalgic view of the past but also a vision of what socialism was meant to offer.
The Special Period and the enduring legacy of scarcity
In 1990, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s economy faced an immense crisis. The withdrawal of Soviet support led to severe shortages, marking the start of the Período especial en tiempos de paz (Special Period). Food became scarce, health and nutrition issues arose, and rationed goods were insufficient to meet the population’s basic needs. As the government assured citizens that these sacrifices were temporary, new hardships tested the endurance of Cuba’s socialist ideals.
Today, the impact of the Special Period on daily life remains deeply ingrained in Cuba, highlighting a significant human rights issue. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the right to food guarantees regular, permanent, and unrestricted access to sufficient, culturally appropriate food that supports both physical and mental well-being, dignity, and a life free from fear. This stands in stark contrast to the current reality in Cuba. While rationing persists, the allocated quantities are insufficient to sustain an adult for an entire month, and traditional Cuban ingredients are often excluded. To make up for these shortages, both legal and illegal channels—such as black markets, food exchange networks, and dollar stores—have become vital food sources, illustrating how food insecurity has reshaped Cuban society and complicated the original ideals of equality and provision.
Food and memory: between nostalgia and reality
In the context of food scarcity, Cubans use memories of food to highlight a pressing human rights concern, revealing the tension between past promises and today’s harsh realities. For instance, when Cubans recall past meals with family and friends, they are not merely indulging in nostalgia—they are highlighting the gap between the rich, varied diet that socialism once promised and the austere, calorie-focused rations available now. These memories embody both an attachment to the values of the Revolution and a critique of its current state.
The right to food has also become more than just sustenance; it mirrors the complex relationship between Cuba’s socialist ideals and the lived experience of scarcity. Where the Revolution’s early years symbolised abundance, the present scarcity feels like a retreat from those founding principles. By reflecting on past experiences, Cubans indirectly express dissatisfaction with the ways socialism has changed over time. For instance, a Cuban quoted in Garth’s work remarks, “Cubans’ post-revolutionary achievements did not necessarily correspond to their own ideals of a better life, and so people clung to what had been lost, believing that the good life was slipping away.” For many Cubans, dreams of equality and abundance have faded along with the flavours of the past.
A continuous tension between hope and disillusionment
The endurance of the rationing system reveals a complex reality where hope for a “better life” under socialism collides with economic challenges. Food scarcity in Cuba is not just about securing meals—it encapsulates a larger tension between past ideals and present limitations. Through their diverse experiences of the right to food, Cubans continue to grapple with the enduring questions of the Revolution: Can it still fulfil its promises? Or are these memories mere fragments of a golden age that has slipped away?
In conclusion, the right to food in Cuba represents both the aspirations and the disappointments of the Revolution. It has long been more than a simple economic measure, serving as a symbol of equality that has fostered a sense of shared struggle. Today, however, it stands as a stark reminder of the human rights issue at the heart of Cuban life—the growing divide between the ideals of socialism and the material realities faced by its people. These memories reflect loss and a testament to resilience, carrying forward the complex legacy of a revolution that continues to shape Cuba’s collective consciousness.
All articles posted on this blog give the views of the author(s), and not the position of the Department of Sociology, LSE Human Rights, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Image credit: Alexander Kunze
This post was originally published on LSE Human Rights.