What’s mine is dine? Investigating the relationship between cultural identity and autonomy over food chains in Barbados

This research serves to investigate the link between cultural identity and securing autonomy over local food chains. It first documents the change in food consumption patterns in Barbados since the 1950s analyzing the geo-political climate that facilitated such a change. Secondly, it explores the link between food culture and development in the agriculture industry, presenting the tension between utilizing a concept such as culture which is constantly being defined and redefined by the individual and the collective. Lastly, it utilizes corporate food regime analysis as a lens to assess the structure of the agriculture industry in Barbados. It questions whether cultural identity shaped through food should be considered in the development of the agricultural industry, working from the premise that this consideration can ensure sustainability meaning that it caters to the economic, social and environmental needs of the country and its people. Presently, Barbados aims to reduce the food import bill by increasing local production and thus ensure national food and nutrition security therefore increasing ownership of the food supply chain. Using qualitative ethnographic methods, the paper follows three generations of the maternal line of a middle-class Barbadian family documenting their relationship with food from childhood to adulthood. It also draws upon the knowledge of key cultural figures in the form of structured interviews who discuss the Barbadian identity as it relates to food. Moreover, structured interviews were conducted with cultural academics, representatives from organizations such as Farmers’ Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive (F.E.E.D) spearheaded by Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation and Barbados Agricultural Management Co. Ltd organizations tasked with the running of the agriculture sector.