La Colmena Cimarrona
Cimarron is a Spanish term for an enslaved person who rebelled against slavery, of which there is a rich tradition in Puerto Rico and throughout the Americas. Today, the members of La Colmena Cimarrona are evoking this tradition as they seek to liberate the food system of Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Vieques is an island municipality of Puerto Rico dependent on imports for more than 90% of its food supply and facing intensifying food insecurity. The members of La Colmena Cimarrona are working to reverse these conditions by organizing themselves for sustainable food production.
Through practices grounded in solidarity economy and agroecology, La Colmena Cimarrona is working to foster food sovereignty in Vieques and across the Puerto Rican archipelago. Their projects include a support networks for agroecological farmers and a learning farm to promote economically and culturally viable production and a direct producer-consumer exchange vehicle to improve access to healthy, local, and culturally appropriate foods.
