Hungry, Hungry Gringos: Solving the Problems Posed by Feeding Tourists

Date

2018-10-25

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley

Abstract

Tourist demand for food stuffs like delicate lettuce varieties that are ill‐suited to the local environment are setting off a chain of reactions within the Cayo District of Belize. To meet demand, farmers are learning to grow these crops organically, synthesizing knowledge from a variety of sources in order to succeed in this new market. This paper takes readers through the experiences of villagers who work in several key sites of a luxury eco‐resort—the restaurant, kitchen, store room, and organic farm—before turning to the implications for the village at large. Though catering to tourists’ tastes is often treated as a form of neocolonialism, this case study examines the agency and creativity expressed by local community members as they adapt to this changing market.

Description

Keywords

Tourism, Organic farming, Lettuce, Culture

Citation

Griffith, L. M. (2018), Hungry, Hungry Gringos: Solving the Problems Posed by Feeding Tourists. Cult Agric Food Environ. https://doi.org/10.1111/cuag.12223

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