Photojournalism 3rd place winner

As the sun begins to set in the morning on a farm in Vuelta Abajo in western Cuba, the stillness of the countryside is interrupted by faint rustling sounds. They are peasants removing, one by one, the large, green and perfect leaves of the best tobacco on the planet, a plant that has been cultivated on the island since before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors five centuries ago.
Every year in Cuba, some 30,000 hectares of land are dedicated to the cultivation of this plant. Its delicate production process results in what many call the best tobacco in the world, a product that has been legendary for Cuba, along with rum and sugar in the past. Cohiba and Partagás are two examples of the most important names of Cuban cigars.
The quality of Cuban cigars and their production in large quantities have turned this industry into one of the pillars, not only of the national economy, but also of tourism, and it has a great impact on the artistic and cultural life of the country.

I am a Agence France-Presse (AFP) photojournalist and have worked in AFP Cuba for 10 years

Yamil Lage Acosta es un fotógrafo cubano con casi dos décadas de experiencia periodística. Ha retratado desde la cotidianeidad de la isla de Cuba -con sus ciudades detenidas en el tiempo, su gente, sus tardes de pelota, sus campos de tabaco y sus atardeceres naranja desde el malecón de La Habana- hasta hechos históricos, como la muerte del comandante Fidel Castro, el restablecimiento de relaciones entre Cuba y Estados Unidos, las protestas en contra del gobierno del 11 de julio de 2021 y los desastres naturales que azotan el Caribe. Su trabajo es de gran sensibilidad social y humana.