Rethinking Food Security and Sustainability in iTaukei Coastal Communities

Raisele, Kolaia (2022) Rethinking Food Security and Sustainability in iTaukei Coastal Communities. [Conference Proceedings]

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Abstract

iTaukei intangible cultural heritage has contributed to sustainable lives in the past and has continued to sustain the lives of the iTaukei people at present. The concept of ‘sustainable development’ is not new to iTaukei coastal communities as their cultural and social practices towards environment sustainability, inclusive social development, economic development, and peace and security have proven otherwise. iTaukei coastal communities are been quite familiar in addressing the needs of the present and future generations, the needs of the vanua as a whole, and ensuring sustainable lives for each member of the community. It ensures balances between nature and communities, and economic and social stability. Sustainability can be associated with the iTaukei concept of sautu . Sautu in the iTaukei context can mean peace, wellbeing, prosperity and fertility of fishing grounds. Therefore, different socio-cultural practices ensure a sustainable food system in iTaukei coastal communities. It is in this view that iTaukei coastal communities’ approaches to food production and consumption are designed to attain and promote sautu (sustainability). Most of these practices are slowly fading away due to external forces of change that have stripped the balance that has sustained iTaukei lives in the past. More specifically, modern ideologies of change driven by a neo-liberal mindset in the ever-increasing globalizing world have shifted the iTaukei values and beliefs rooted in ‘we’ to ‘I’ (communal to individual). In other words, the shift from a subsistence economy to a market economy significantly impacted the iTaukei coastal communities’ food systems. Now that the very change of global interconnectedness has brought about ecological, economic, environmental and social challenges, it is about time that iTaukei coastal communities (and the individual) look into their own cultural heritage of food production, security & consumption so that traditional food sustainability approaches are revived and maintained. There are many iTaukei intangible cultural heritage that ensure food security and sustainability in iTaukei coastal communities. Specifically, these ICHs are: i. Solesolevaki ii. Vulavakaviti iii. Tabu ni qoliqoli iv. Qoli veinanumi v. As well as different food preparation and preservation methods.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education (SPACE)
Depositing User:	Kolaia Raisele
Date Deposited:	19 May 2022 00:17
Last Modified:	19 May 2022 00:17
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/13419

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