CUBE supports the transformation towards an agriculture based on sustainable production and use of biomass and efficient value networks, and is guided by the principles of inclusion, equity and well-being of the Cuban people. In this way, the project can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular: 1. No to poverty; 2. No to hunger; 4. Quality education; 12. Sustainable consumption and production; 15. Life on land.
The objective of CUBE is to explore ways of a bioeconomy that allows for socially balanced territorial development processes.
Operationally, CUBE is based on two conceptual pillars: the systems approach and the value networks approach (as an alternative to value chains). The first assumes that production systems are complex and interconnected. The second assumes that, instead of optimizing the production of one product (linear vision), exploring several alternatives simultaneously (network vision) is more beneficial and sustainable. Both concepts are complementary and have been previously applied in bioeconomy studies.
CUBE will be implemented in four successive phases: 1. Background and establishment of the baseline; 2. Identification of local crops/production systems; 3; 3. Integration, scenario definition and analysis; and 4. Consolidation and follow-up.