Beyond what the ship brought to Puerto Rico: Rodríguez-Cruz on food sovereignty and abundance

In a world where the food system is governed by international chains of imports and distant exports, the territory of Puerto Rico is a clear example of the struggle for fully possible food sovereignty. This Anchoa article by Luis Alexis Rodríguez-Cruz invites us to take a different look at a territory filled with abundance, resilience, and identity. His memoir essay explores food sovereignty in the context of disaster, sharing memories of his grandmother, Hurricane Maria, and a vision of local abundance. 

“The child I once was would have looked with disappointment at that plate of boiled yams with fried meat my grandmother served me, which she cooked on a stovetop, as there were no more stoves. As the years went by, during my adolescence and youth, I gradually shed those prejudices and preconceived ideas that were planted in me at a time when we weren't called a "colony." Understanding and reading about our past and present, thanks to the education and teachers I had in the public school system, made me value our dishes and confections. It made me challenge the idea of ​​"poor man's food," which is sometimes even served on a table during Puerto Rican Heritage Week, as a typical dish, an object that is no longer common. Before returning to school, motivated by her and her family, I gave my grandmother a notebook. I look at the recipes she left behind. I prepare them for myself, for friends and family, and I treasure them. Today, through my work and writing, I explore the social dimensions of agriculture and fishing. And I believe that interest was cultivated by my grandmother.”

Read the full story in Anchoa Magazine.