Contaminants in inputs used in Cuba’s urban agriculture

Cuba’s urban organic gardens, called Organopónicos, provide most of the fresh vegetables to local communities. However, urban organic inputs can be contaminated by trace elements affecting human health. Scientists Alfaro et al. showed, indeed, that compost produced from municipal solid waste were largely contaminated by cadmium and lead. Because of this investigation, the use of municipal solid waste compost for food production has been forbidden in Cuba.