Food and Gastronomy for Sustainable Place Development: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Different Theoretical Approaches

Abstract

Food and gastronomy (F&G) are increasingly recognized as potentially determinant elements for the sustainable development of places. A commonly held theory in many research fields is that F&G can contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of places while potentially representing elements that increase those places' attractiveness and competitiveness. This literature review investigates three main research streams: agriculture and rural studies, place branding and place marketing and food tourism. The aim is to reduce the research fragmentation by offering a more holistic perspective on how F&G are understood in different research areas to identify common and transversal elements that might represent the core of F&G's potential for place development. These areas have been analysed to identify common, recurrent and significative local F&G resources. Significance in this context indicates that the identified local F&G resources have emerged as meaningful at the local and global levels; that is, they are embedded in the place (spatially and culturally) and are able to identify and differentiate the place in global competition. The analysis reveals that all local F&G resources that support place distinctiveness and attractiveness should also address and strengthen the link between the place (territorial/geographical dimensions) and the people (cultural dimensions).

Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism in An Giang Province, Vietnam

“…Food and beverage is one of the most important factors in the tourism industry [64,70,71] as it attracts tourists to enjoy new tastes of cuisine [72]. With the gastronomy, among the intangible cultural values of the destination, tourists can enjoy the local specialties and explore and perceive the authentic cultural identity of the local people [73][74][75][76].…”

Food Systems Sustainability: An Examination of Different Viewpoints on Food System Change

“…Views then descale to the household scale (micro scale) referencing either the household or individual as the area of analysis or action-a view which is informed by Sen's (1981) entitlements perspective [96]. Absent is any proactive focus on the meso, or mid-scale, particularly the urban scale [15,97]. From an urban food systems policy and change perspective, these framings reinforce existing dogmas and policy positions and are, in the main, counterproductive.…”

Marco referencial da gastronomia como cultura no estado do Rio de Janeiro: o “mise-en-place” para a gastronomia carioca está posto? Desdobramentos e perspectivas no âmbito da gastronomia e da cultura para o Rio de Janeiro

“…Há várias perspectivas que consideram a relação entre alimentos e gastronomia como elementos que favorecem o desenvolvimento sustentável local. Ao nosso ver, os apontamentos de Rinaldi (2017) Não podemos deixar de citar a memória social que se relaciona com a gastronomia, porquanto os hábitos alimentares formados nos contextos de socialização, sejam no lar, na escola, no trabalho entre tantos outros ambientes, desde a infância até a fase adulta acompanharão os indivíduos ao longo de toda a vida, num processo que incorpora as mudanças na própria alimentação ao longo do tempo fenômeno bastante constatado no caso, por exemplo, de imigrantes (PINTO; SIMÕES, 2016). A alimentação, compreendida como expressão cultural, não se restringe à mera ingestão de alimentos, é mais abrangente, envolvendo "o modo com que se preparam os alimentos, as relações interpessoais oriundas desse preparo, o assentar-se à mesa, os talheres usados, ou não, no consumo alimentar, dentre outros fatores, aquilo que denominamos como a comensalidade" (PINTO; SIMÕES, 2016, p. 02).…”