The Importance of Local Food in Hawaii - Report Example

A great deal of emphasis has recently been placed upon the importance of eating locally and the environmental and economic benefits that this has for society, the individual, and the broader environment as a whole. However, the fact of the matter is that even though eating locally is an idea that is gained a great deal of traction and portends a particular level of benefit to each of the parties that have been listed above, it also is a practice that creates a few key weaknesses which must be discussed. As a function of such a level of analysis, the following paper will discuss and critique a recent article entitled “Eating Hawai’i: Local Foods and Place-Making in Hawai’i Regional Cuisine” (Costa and Besio, 2011). It is the hope of this author that such an analysis will present the reader with the benefits and weaknesses of the eating local approach as well as to engage a further understanding of the complex nature of the globalized world and the nutritional requirements of the 21st century lifestyle. The methodology used by the author to look into the research has shed light into the issue appropriately. The author has used a case study, peer reviewed journals and phone interviews to come up with the required data. Using peer reviewed journals increases the credibility of the work which is the complimented by other methodologies. The case study gives insight on how eating local has impacted Hawai’i as well as the benefits and shortcomings of the same. Looking at the case of peter Merriman, he had no initial plans to settle at Hawai’i islands. He planned to work as a cook for a year or two and then move to his next job. He was attracted to local food and cuisine that he opened his restaurant, which dealt with locally grown food. His passion in nurturing HRC and Hawai’i culture helped a great deal in survival of the hotels which he later opened in several islands. His close relationships with farmers have paid off as he is able to get local farm produce as he needs them. His main theme has been had been to have a place that promotes both local and Local foods. The analysis done on the article about eating locale covers all the required aspects according to collected information. Through analysis, the author has been able to establish how the issue of eating local has been of importance to Hawai’i population as well as tourists. According to the author one of the most obvious factors concerning nutrition and the means through which it is understood within the current time is the fact that a broad complexity of different nutrients and foods are required in order to sustain a healthful lifestyle to the individual. In order to sustain this requirement, different food sources from a great many different places has oftentimes been discerned as being the most economically effective and nutritionally effective means of accomplishing such a goal. However, from the environmental and sociological framework, it can clearly be denoted that relying upon globalized supply chains that leverage industry and production from far-off regions of the world, even though economically effective, is ultimately disastrous to the environment and places an undue strain upon the Earth’s already limited resources. This naturally leads one to conclude that the most effective environmental and sociological approach would be to leverage those food sources within the local region as a means of accomplishing the very same task. This is where the trade-off between environmental and sociological concerns and nutrition itself becomes most evident. As the article in question notes, the issue with Hawaii is the fact that a very limited biosphere exists within the island and its resources (Costa & Besio, 2011). As a direct function of the geographic constraints such as terrain and scarcity of land that Hawai’i exhibits, it can clearly be denoted that the island is incapable of supporting the same degree of eating local that other geographies around the world might be able to engage. This of course points to a fundamental flaw within the eating local theory. The fact of the matter is that each and every region around the globe is not able to fully meet the nutritional and sustenance needs of the individuals within the immediate community (Costa & Besio, 2011). However, despite this shortcoming, it should not be understood that eating local is a theory or practice that should be dismissed entirely. Rather, the article tangentially mentions the litany of different benefits that it can provide. For instance, the first benefit of eating local is with regards to the increase in overall health from fresh food of the individual might be able to enjoy. For instance, a broad majority of food that is grown or produced non-locally is merely packaged and filled with preservatives in order to ensure that produce or given product in question arrives in the given market before spoiling. Food that is produced and/or grown locally has the tangential benefit of not being so late and with preservatives and thereby allowing the individual eating is not only to experience pressure food but also the associated benefits of not having a great deal of preservatives within it. An additional benefit that the article discusses is the fact that fresh produce is often provided directly to the market within the local area. Comparatively, produce that is grown across the country, or indeed across the globe, is picked unripe and then shipped so that during the shipping process it will ripen in route (Costa & Besio, 2011). Comparatively, produce that is picked within the local region is picked relatively close to, or indeed right, so that the individual in the store/market is able to purchase and consume this and experience all benefits associated with it. Eating local as explained in this paper leads to ‘place making’. The farmers, chefs and wine makers are able to relate plate and place through the use of Terroir. This is a French term, which describes the food depending on the locale. According to the article, the Hawai’i chefs as well as a rancher and farmers use this term to promote the islands products. There is the suggestion that the public ought to be educated on the food locality. This is in accordance with the use of cooking to bring the essence of different localities in the state. Benefits that can be derived from distinguishing food from different localities include increased market and sales. Place making can be of great advantage to both farmers and the tourists. This is due to increased demand for farmers and variety of taste to the tourists (Costa & Besio, 2011). The article looks at the matter of ‘place making’ by relating how the consumption of beef from two localities can be distinguished. HRC menus uses place name in their menus. This offers a location related taste as explained in the article. The use of place foreshadows the cooking technique used as well as social setting. Using the place gives the food an authentic Hawaii’s taste. This is one way in which the food can be used to show location related taste. It is evident that the food offered in Hawai’i is more of their place of origin and land. This is one way of making distinct types of food be associated with their origin (Costa & Besio, 2011). It added benefit to the locally that is exhibited specifically in Hawaii is the fact that the entire economy of the island is almost totally dependent on the tourist industry. This has provided the island with a relative lack of diversity in economic pursuit and allowed many other entities and industries to. However, a focus upon eating locally not only encourages a further expansion of the economy but also provides a benefit to the food producers and farmers that have for so long been on the side and underutilized within the economy of Hawaii. By leveraging, this resource to a fuller and greater degree, the combined levels of social, economic, and environmental benefits that the region could sustain is properly noted. In short, the piece that has been chosen was utilized not only with respect to the fact that it helped to indicate how eating locally could affect all three of the areas that had been referencing, nutrition, environment, and society, it was also chosen due to the fact that it helps to underscore the geographic limitations that eating locally necessarily declares. Whereas it is a super important strategy in seeking to protect the environment and promote an understanding of the way in which the globalized world is ultimately damaging to the total resources of the planet, key limitations exist that oftentimes force the individual to integrate more fully with the global supply chain as compared to their local region. The importance of place making as described in this article cannot be ignored. This is because ‘place making’ would lead to consumers identifying different areas according to the palate. The farmers as well as ranchers can benefit immensely in that they can be able to have a greater market share. Within such an understanding, the reader can come to balance the means through which they integrate with the globalized economy as compared to the regional one based upon the needs and externalities of their particular region, their own nutrition, and the environment. Ultimately, the main point of the issue falls down upon whether or not the individual is willing to take a full account of resources and requirements of their own nutrition and health as compared to those resources that are represented within the local community as a means of providing for their own health. There is also need to understand the need of place making by understanding Terroir. Reference Costa, L., & Besio, K. (2011). Eating Hawaii: local foods and place-making in Hawaii Regional Cuisine. Social & Cultural Geography.Vol.12, no.8. Pp. 839-854. Read More