NPR

Puerto Rico's Push For Food Independence Intertwined With Statehood Debate

Before Hurricane Maria hit in September, the island imported most of its food. The storm sparked a movement to rely on local crops, and highlighted a complicated relationship with the U.S. government.
Nine days after the Hurricane Maria struck, Emilú De León and other volunteers opened a kitchen to serve meals to the people of Caguas. The first day, they fed 600, De León says.

Hurricane Maria has reignited a small movement in Puerto Rico aimed at strengthening the local food system so the island can survive and thrive without dependence on the mainland U.S.

Before the hurricane struck in September 2017, Puerto Rico imported about 85 percent of its food. And to make matters.

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