How the U.S. Changed the Puerto Rican Diet

CORRECTION: A part of my video about food sovereignty describing the Jones Act has been cut out because it was inaccurate. I said the Jones Act prohibits foreign ships from traveling between U.S. ports. That was incorrect. What the Jones Act does is require that maritime vessels moving goods from one US port to another be US-built, US-owned, US-crewed, and US-registered. A foreign ship can go straight to Puerto Rico on its way to Florida, as long as it's not transporting goods from PR to FL or viceversa. I apologize for my mistake and thank the CATO Institute for reaching out to point out the error.

First the United States colonized Puerto Rico andHawai’i, then they destroyed their ability to feed themselves. This is the story of the Puerto Ricans returning to the land to work towards food sovereignty.

Where to find me
📸 Podcast en español: @biancagraulaupr

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00:00-02:07 Colonization of Puerto Rico & Hawai’i
02:07-03:15 The Dictatorship of the Supermarket
03:15-04:32 Ground News Sponsorship
04:32-05:28 What is Food Sovereignty
08:18-09:03 Health Effects of Imported Food
09:03-11:14 The Rise of the American Diet
11:14-11:54 El Josco Bravo
11:54-13:27 Land Use in Puerto Rico
13:27-14:30 Solar Projects & Soil Conservation
14:30-15:42 Agroecological farming, Resistance & Liberation

[floweryomi]

Blew my mind when my friend in Tunisia said that despite their major export being olive oil, people who live there cannot afford olive oil. This is the imperial blueprint

[kated]

I grew up thinking I hated vegetables. Turns out I just hated the bland, nutrient deficient, boring crap they sold in our local groceries. Once I started getting into gardening, I realized how much of a scam the big food agriculture could be. Owning a small parcel of land to grow some of their own food should be a basic human right... and would GREATLY increase food resiliency, lower food costs and increase health.

[hemaspringfieldmo]

I was still on the island when hurricane María hit the island, I was studying a second bachelor degree in nursing sciences of all things. I was living at my home town. In the middle of the crisis I had to help my friends and neighbors to collect and sterilize water for my neighbors to fend off digestive distress with infusions of Guava bark ...because all foliage was gone. My knowledge of the land and flora of the island it s what kept me going, I foraged around the river and creeks close to my place and found tubercles, legumes and fruits that withstood the atmospheric phenomenon. It wasn t the federal government nor the local government, nor the national guard that kept me and my neighbors alive. It was our ancestral knowledge and ingenuity.

[Kiko.Santiago]

I went to Hawaii for the first time recently and I couldn't stop comparing it to Puerto Rico. Thank you for sharing this.

[iamnotyouraudience]

Este reportaje sobre Puerto Rico es, sin duda, uno de los mejores que he visto. Es inspirador y realmente educativo. Crecí en la isla, aunque pasé gran parte de mi vida adulta fuera. Mi esposa y yo nos estamos preparando para regresar y cuidar a nuestros familiares mayores. Ella siempre me ha comentado lo increíble que es nuestro clima y se pregunta por qué no aprovechamos para sembrar más. Cada vez que visita, siembra tomates, gandules y otras delicias, y siempre sorprende gratamente a sus padres. Además, tenemos cinco cuerdas fértiles en Las Marías, con las que soñamos cultivar en el futuro. Como bien dice mi esposa: 'Si las cosas se ponen difíciles, prefiero estar en Puerto Rico, porque allí, sembrando, nos defendemos.' Muchas gracias por dedicar tiempo a crear este hermoso video. ¡Felicitaciones y éxito en todos tus proyectos!

[everythingisfine]

Crazy because I'm changing back natural foods as much as possible. Losing a ton of weight, more relaxed, long-term injuries starting to heal. Best decision I've ever made

[chickenredcat]

I live in Eastern Puerto Rico and can tell you that there are thousands of acres of beautiful farmland, just sitting vacant. Take a drive on the freeway between Fajardo and Humacao and you will see. This area was once a giant sugarcane producing area, but now no one works it. The remains of the sugar plant still stand as two large brick stacks in Fajardo. The railroad system that supplied the plant is long gone and the locomotives were sold off island.
I am not a rich colonizer gringo. I bought an abandoned house, in a working class neighborhood, and put a lot of money and sweat into it and now live in it. My neighbors are the most welcoming and helpful people you will ever meet. This is truly paradise.
Sadly, people would rather eat fast food than grow their own. Long lines of cars all day at McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King and Chick-fil-a. I refuse to eat that garbage, and other processed foods, and my health has never been better.

[darkzamuz]

That's why I have a garden. Is not big and sure don't grow enough to supply a family of 5 but it brings me joy and a feeling of accomplishment when I can create a masterpiece food plate harvested from my garden, knowing I grew it with love and care. It's a lot of work and patience but is so worth it. I enjoy your reports. Keep it up!

[BiancaGraulau]

CORRECTION: A part of my video about food sovereignty describing the Jones Act has been cut out because it was inaccurate. I said the Jones Act prohibits foreign ships from traveling between U.S. ports. That was incorrect. What the Jones Act does is require that maritime vessels moving goods from one US port to another be US-built, US-owned, US-crewed, and US-registered. A foreign ship can go straight to Puerto Rico on its way to Florida, as long as it's not transporting goods from PR to FL or viceversa. I apologize for my mistake and thank the CATO Institute for reaching out to point out the error.

[Youtubefanw]

Thank you for this video. As many local news journals no longer exist, journalism like this is more important than ever.

Plus the subject matter of returning to the land to eat real food and have sovereignty is critical as well. Food does not come from supermarkets!

[williamlebron]

I lived in PR as a teenager. I have so much family there. I remember going into the jungle getting Ñames (yams). We would bring sacks of it back and share it with the family. I do feel I was eating heather there than I did here in the US. Schools served fresh made breakfast & lunches. I really miss living there.

[matthewking]

Sending you and your beloved island love and blessings Bianca. Keep doing the amazing work you have been doing for years! Don't let the haters get you down. One day Puerto Rico will be free <3 It is so incredible to see how young people are working towards sovereignty, agriculturally and culturally

[mikestaub]

This was one of your best segments yet Bianca! The beauty of PR is that almost anyone can grow *some* of their food, as the climate is ideal. Even if it is a single papaya tree or tomato plant, its important for the people to start small as that generates inspiration and understanding.

[TheDudeYouLookAt]

I am bolivian/american and after graduating high school something drew me towards my home country. In the states I was depressed and was diagnosed with chronic stress at 13yo. The schooling, diet, and lifestyle just did NOT work for me. I now live in bolivia eating only farm grown foods and i feel at peace here. My parents went to the states for my best future but funny enough I ended up in bolivia for my own well being.

[uriolcuevas]

Puerto Ricans need to work on their land And produce Their own food Do not depend on the US government

[pragmatist]

Thank you for this important story. Growing up in Hawaii, I'm startled by the similarities in local crops and diet, and the mirror-image story of how local farming was decimated in both locations. I really hope PR local farming makes a comeback (your story was very encouraging). Local farming in Hawaii is struggling worse than PR for the same reasons, but still hanging on due to the efforts of a few dedicated people in the community.

[desckUgah]

My grandpa is from Bayamon and i got my degree in agroecology. : ) Thank you for covering this aspect of reality. You are an excellent journalist and documentarian!

[centradragon]

My family and I visited Vieques, and for some reason my mom kept trying to buy apples for the horses (and being surprised at how expensive they were) instead of picking up the ripe mangos. We tried telling her the horses were happy with mangos, but she didn’t believe it. 😂

When you reported how Americans tried to convince Puerto Ricans to eat apples and potatoes, that’s all I could think of.

I hope PR (and Hawaii, for that matter) gets more food independence from mainland US; there is no reason that a paradise on Earth should have to import food to survive. Great documentary!

[cristalizp]

Wow! I really did not know about this 😢 I’m Puerto Rican but I only lived there when I was little. But Puerto Rico will always have my heart. I wonder in what way I can help the land of Puerto Rico. I definitely feel they need better people working in the government. People that want only the best for the Puerto Ricans. I believe Puerto Rico will rise !!

[elcoqui]

With all the Respect that you deserve, I am honored y ORGULLOSO how well you are so articulate and educated on the formulation and presentation on your topics, eres tremenda Representantè
Para nuestra Gentè BORINQUÈNO, QUÈ DIOS TE BENDIGA Y TE PROTEGE IN ALL YOUR JOURNEY'S OF THIS WALK WE CALL LIFE!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻