Umpierre
Agro Vieques
A topography of mountains, hills, small valleys and coastal plains; spectacular beaches abound.
Vieques is the Nena Island of the Borinkano Archipelago that rests ten leagues east of the Isla Grande; it has 132 square kilometers, 33 long by 7.2 wide, with a topography of mountains, hills, small valleys and coastal plains; spectacular beaches abound, lagoons with some springs and ravines but insufficient to supply the island with drinking water. The island is blessed with a tropical marine climate, with minimal fluctuations in temperature. The trade winds caress it, moderating the average temperature, at 79° F (26.5° C).
In 1991 archaeologists unearthed the remains of a man and a series of objects in Vieques.
For some researchers the name Vieques derives from the Taíno and means small land, for others it comes from Bieque, chieftain who inhabited the island. The first settlers were the Taínos.
In 1991 archaeologists unearthed the remains of a man and a series of objects in Vieques. Evidence points to the Island as one of the earliest Arawaco settlements in the Stone Age in the Antilles, the remains are estimated to date from 500 to 2,300 BC.
To this day the eastern part is under federal control, parts of the western zone remained under the Department of the Interior.
The first settlers were the French, expelled in 1647. Later the English arrived and were also ousted from the island in 1718. At the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, it passed into the hands of the Americans where it remained until 1952, when it was constituted as part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The US navy occupied most of the territory for war practices that shook the island and the population for decades that culminated in the death of a Viequen security guard who raised a wave of protests. These were consummated on May 1, 2003, when President George Bush ordered the navy to leave Vieques.
The economic activity of Vieques is mainly based on tourism and, to a lesser extent, on construction, commercial fishing, meat livestock and the cultivation of ornamental plants,
The federal government ensured its hegemony on the island by transferring the vast territory (66% of the island) to the Fisheries and Wildlife Service. To this day the eastern part is under federal control, parts of the western zone remained under the Department of the Interior, the municipal government of Vieques and the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.
The average per capita income on Nena Island is estimated at $10,500 per year.
The economic activity of Vieques is mainly based on tourism and, to a lesser extent, on construction, commercial fishing, meat livestock and the cultivation of ornamental plants, minor fruits and vegetables. General Electric is an important source of employment on the island.
The most favorable areas are usually in the least mountainous parts, where access to water and sun exposure are favorable for plant growth.
The population, according to the 2010 and 2020 censuses, decreased from 9,301 to 8,249, a 14% loss, in line with the Boricua migratory phenomenon. The number of abandoned houses is remarkable. The population density in 2020 was 180 inhabitants per thousand per square, in Isla Grande it is 961. The population is concentrated in the towns of Isabel Segunda ((head of government) and Esperanza. The average per capita income on Nena Island is estimated at $10,500 per year and 46% of the population lives in poverty. There is 7% unemployment.
Arable land is a vital resource that allows food production and contributes to the local economy. The soil in Vieques varies in quality and type, but many areas are suitable for agriculture. Volcanic soils are rich in nutrients, ideal for growing a variety of fruits. The most favorable areas are usually in the least mountainous parts, where access to water and sun exposure are favorable for plant growth.
With a privileged location, a tropical climate, a dazzling beauty and natural richness, Vieques is a very appetizing dish for great interests. Tourism abounds with new maritime transport facilities, the many who arrive to experience its charms, so the offer of inns, restaurants and car rentals has also grown, along with residential developments.
Agriculture in Vieques
The agricultural farms in Vieques are an important part of the local culture and economy.
The agricultural farms in Vieques are an important part of the local culture and economy. Many farmers use sustainable and organic methods. Crop rotation and water conservation are common practices. The island produces fruits and vegetables, bananas, cassava, soursops, mangoes and other tropical fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes and peppers.
As everywhere else, farmers face the challenges of climate change, soil erosion and competition from imported products, with the particularity of being a small island, part of an unincorporated territory.
FITICAS
Tourism abounds with new maritime transport facilities.
The Community Land Trust for Sustainable Agriculture (FiTiCAS) has been operating since 2019 to boost Puerto Rico’s food security and sovereignty. FiTiCAS perpetually protects arable land as common goods to guarantee access to organic farmers without land or initial capital.
The first land project for organic farmers is in Vieques in alliance with La Colmena Cimarrona; a community-based organization that is cultivating security and food sovereignty in Vieques, without security in the possession of the land they cultivate.
Quotes from Mariolga Reyes Cruz
“Vieques has enough agricultural land to produce much of its food. What we need is the will to protect these agricultural lands in perpetuity, make them accessible to the farmers of Vieque who are committed to developing organic agriculture for local consumption and building the sustainability of the projects.”
The Cimarrona Colmena Project carries out summer camps and educational workshops for young people from the Islands.
“We promote the possession of the land from the model of the common goods necessary for a community, which are protected for use for generations. Thinking of agricultural land as common goods is an alternative to the public or private management of a good necessary for life. Common goods are protected from speculation and managed in a democratic and participatory way.”
“In the case of FiTiCAS, the farmers who live in the lands guarded as common goods will be part of the governance structures of the organization.”
“It is essential for farmers to have access to housing on or near the land they cultivate. Thinking about access to land without a home can endanger the sustainability of projects. For this, part of the conversation at FiTiCAS is how to also promote common housing cooperatives to ensure fair access to housing for generations.”
“Love, Commitment and Hope”
On the Island Nena
The enthusiasm of the activity is generated by a staff that communicates the love for the land, the commitment to food sovereignty and organic agriculture.
As part of super community management, the Cimarrona Colmena Project carries out summer camps and educational workshops for young people from the Islands. The visit to the facilities coincided with two groups of young people; the Tombs, the Harassment of Loiza and the Queen Bees, students of the Intermediate age in Vieques.
Cimarrona Colmena Project is an exemplary agricultural project that confronts the adversity of the agricultural sector on Nena Island and in the countryside.
The enthusiasm of the activity is generated by a staff that communicates the love for the land, the commitment to food sovereignty, organic agriculture and the hope of change that motivates the energy of youth. Seven women and one man who work 20 ropes, 10 fences, with a pond that serves as sustenance and attracts 90 different species of birds.
Cimarrona Colmena Project is an exemplary agricultural project that confronts the adversity of the agricultural sector on Nena Island and in the countryside: the difficulty of raising capital along with the challenges of heat, drought and labor shortages. Yet it does so without ceasing to be a link to hope.
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Copyright 2025 by Jose M. Umpierre. All photos courtesy of the author.