Paris, 3 June 2025. On the occasion of the second anniversary of the establishment of the “UNESCO Chair on Medicinal Plants at the University of Havana for the Preservation of Biodiversity through Sustainable Development,” the Cuban stand at Latin America and the Caribbean Week at UNESCO was officially inaugurated.
The opening ceremony featured the presence of Ambassador María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the Organization; Dr. Rodolfo Arencibia from the University of Havana; Dr. Tania Re from the University of Genoa, Italy; and expert Ysiniel Troche, representative of Cuba’s local development project “Flora: Grandma’s Apothecary.” The exhibition, open throughout the week, invites the public to learn more about the sustainable use of natural medicine.
The stand includes a display of Cuban natural products with palliative properties for various conditions, medicinal herbal infusions offered to visitors, and the promotion of a message advocating for the safeguarding of traditional knowledge regarding the medicinal use of plants. The results of two years of work by the UNESCO Chair on Natural Medicine and the “Flora: Grandma’s Apothecary” local development project are also central components of the Cuban presentation.
The UNESCO Chair on Natural Medicine at the University of Havana is the only one of its kind in the Latin American and Caribbean region. With the support of Italian researcher Dr. Tania Re—pioneer in establishing similar chairs in her country—the Cuban Chair has already been presented before the National Assembly of the Republic of Cuba. It is also associated with the UNITWIN Chairs of Genoa and Salerno, the “La Minerva” Medicinal Plant Garden of the Salernitan School of Medicine, the Italian enterprise group Aboca, and the Italo-Latin American International Organization (IILA).
The local development project, also linked to the Chair and located in La Lisa, Havana, has created a catalog of over 40 handcrafted products, including infusions, decoctions, and condiments, using traditional drying processes. It collaborates with approximately 11 Cuban universities and over 10 scientific research centers. The project also comprises the “Valentino Mercati” medicinal plant museum—the only one of its kind in Cuba—as well as laboratories and a retail space open to the public. It organizes educational activities for children, youth, adults, and the elderly. “La Botica” rescues the roots and traditional remedies used in Cuba since ancient times, based on scientific evidence that allows for the application of science, technology, and innovation with a sustainable approach.