Examining farm-to-table during the COVID-19 pandemic: Sustainability and the chef-farmer relationship in times of stress

Food is foundational to culture. While farm-to-table culinary tourism has expanded greatly over the past several decades, the abrupt onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly reversed course overnight. In the U.S., many restaurants were shuttered for several months and subsequently had to alter their business model to reopen. Meanwhile, farmers that worked closely with chefs were vulnerable to dramatic changes in purchasing habits. Therefore, this study sought to explore the relationship between chefs and farmers and how the stress of the pandemic impacted these relationships. It also looked at the role of shared sustainability values on the farmer-chef relationship during times of stress. The study took place between October 2020 and March 2021 and involved in-depth virtual interviews with farmers and chefs. Preliminary results suggest that while working relationships are not always contingent on shared values, shared sustainability values can be critical in maintaining these connections during difficult times

Poder, altruismo y turismo comunitario: Un estudio comparativo

Residents of San Juan La Laguna and San Pedro La Laguna, neighboring towns on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, have followed very different trajectories of tourism development despite their close proximity. This study explores residents’ perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of tourism development under two differing economic models and addresses weaknesses in current theoretical approaches. Findings from this ethnographic comparative case study indicate that prevailing theoretical constructs do not fully explain dynamics in non-western non- laissez faire capitalist contexts. Findings also suggest that strong community collaboration guided by governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can help to maintain tourism benefits locally, while at the same time preventing some of the costs of tourism development in destination communities.Los residentes de San Juan La Laguna y San Pedro La Laguna, dos pueblos vecinos en la cuenca del Lago de Atitlán (Guatemala), han seguido trayectorias de desarrollo turístico muy diferentes a pesar de su proximidad. En este estudio se explora las percepciones de los residentes de comunidades bajo diferentes modelos económicos y aborda las debilidades de los enfoques teóricos actuales. Se realiza un estudio comparativo de casos etnográfico, a fin de explorar las percepciones de las residentes respecto a las ventajas e inconvenientes derivadas del desarrollo turístico de sus pueblos. Los hallazgos indican que los prevaleciente constructos teóricos no explican plenamente esta dinámica en contextos no occidentales y que son no practican laissez faire capitalismo. Los resultados también sugieren que la fuerte colaboración comunitaria guiada por organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales puede ayudar a mantener los beneficios del turismo en las comunidades de destino, mientras que previene algunos de sus costo

Gender, work, and tourism in the Guatemalan Highlands

While much of modern tourism research centers on the tourist as a leisure consumer, workers are frequently overlooked. Despite a recent uptick in attention to tourism work, the primary focus remains on employee’s skills and qualifications. In contrast, the key contextual factors of race, ethnicity, and gender that surround tourism work are seldom examined. This comparative study addresses the theme of traditional gender roles, particularly in patriarchal societies, and how they affect tourism work. Specifically, it investigates how the presence of tourism influences cultural norms determining appropriate jobs for men and women. Utilizing an ethnographic field research approach, data were collected from participants in two indigenous Maya communities in Guatemala, each with differing models and lengths of tourism development. Free-listing exercises were used to elicit residents’ perceptions of employment as it relates to gender in their community and cultural consensus analysis was used to analyze the data. Results show that neither community shares consensus on jobs for women and only one community shares consensus on men’s jobs. Results suggest that tourism disrupts cultural norms related to gender roles; yet this may not always benefit women

The role of agritourism in heritage preservation

This study examined the linkage between agritourism and heritage preservation by assessing the occurrence of and farmers' motivations for preserving tangible heritage in their farmlands. Results show that agritourism farmers are preserving tangible heritage in their farmlands, mainly driven by intrinsic motives. Farmland, farmer, and agritourism attributes are significantly associated with motivations driving heritage preservation. Study results suggest that although agritourism appears to be an adequate tool to preserve tangible heritage, farmers are missing the opportunity to economically gain from these resources, which may jeopardise the sustainability of their conservation efforts. This study not only advances the incipient understanding of the agritourism-heritage link, but identifies additional issues of this relationship that need to be investigated further

Tourism microentrepreneurship: State of the art and research agenda

Microentrepreneurship has always been an important driving force of the tourism industry. However, until recently, this sector was mostly invisible and understudied. Microentrepreneurs are now becoming influential stakeholders due to new information technologies that make their offerings easily accessible to a broader clientele and render their economic activity more transparent and taxable. There is a growing consensus that tourism microentrepreneurs can make destinations more competitive and equitable. Accordingly, there has been a surge of scholarship on tourism microentrepreneurship to inform strategies and policies to fuel microentrepreneurial development and its integration with the formal tourism sector. The purpose of this conceptual article is threefold: first, to discuss the definition of tourism microentrepreneurship and commonly used theoretical conceptualizations, as well as the evolution of research on tourism microentrepreneurship; second, to identify research gaps in the existing literature and propose avenues for future research; third, to serve as an introduction to a Special Section on Tourism Microentrepreneurship. In addition, we offer a set of practical recommendations for destination managers and supporting organizations to develop and nurture networks of microentrepreneurs, and to identify suitable and rewarding microentrepreneurial opportunities in the tourism business ecosystem

At the red table: how intergenerational Black women are using Facebook Watch to cultivate critical conversations on health, identity, and relationships

Red Table Talk, a web series exclusively aired on Facebook Watch, represents the narrative of intergenerational Black women who tackle critical conversations. The show, developed by Jada Pinkett-Smith and featuring her daughter and mother, brings in special guests for discussions on race, gender identity, sexual and mental health, co-parenting, and relationships. This paper relies on both qualitative and quantitative data from an audience survey, supplemented by thematic analysis to explore these themes. We show how the alternative media model of Facebook Watch and the series itself act as rebellions against institutionalized narratives that perpetuate stereotypes against people of color. We examine how Black women creators reclaim agency and resist generational forms of silencing by authoring a counter-narrative at the intersection of their lived cultural experiences

Women’s self-determination in cooperative tourism microenterprises

The purpose of this study is to better understand how cooperative forms of microentrepreneurship influence women's self-determination. Utilizing the framework of self-determination theory, this study employed a multiple case study approach that involved in-depth interviews, content analysis, field notes, and direct observations. Findings indicate that livelihood opportunities afforded under cooperative tourism microentrepreneurship offer women increased levels of self-determination, but that economic improvements alone are not sufficient in enhancing overall well-being. This study provides a detailed account of the strategies indigenous women employ to enhance their self-determination under cooperative tourism microentrepreneurship models. The results of this study suggest that programs by governments and NGOs should consider non-individual benefits when they engage with communities in tourism planning initiatives. Additionally, interventions aimed at women must also engage men or women may suffer from tensions at home. Finally, this study indicates that simply offering access to credit does not foster self-reliant development. The structures of cooperative models determine outcomes. Therefore, whenever possible, microentrepreneurship models should be designed to enhance strong cooperative social structures

The influence of agritourism on niche meats loyalty and purchasing

Although research has been increasing on agritourism, many questions remain. Studies have indicated that agritourism can bring both economic and noneconomic benefits to farmers and that sustainably raised agriculture products can lead to both health and environmental benefits. The current study explores the relationship between preferred meat attributes of the consumer (PMA), interest in visiting an agritourism farm (AI), and increased loyalty to a meat product or farm, termed the food system bond (FSB), among consumers in North Carolina, United States. Results indicate that (1) a preference for sustainable meat products has a positive influence on both interest in visiting a farm that raises livestock sustainably and on the food system bond and that (2) agritourism has a positive impact on the food system bond. This suggests the potential for agritourism to connect specialty consumers with niche farmers, increasing farm revenues, supporting sustainably raised agriculture, and fostering overall rural sustainability

Visitor spending at wine festivals: Perspectives on stakeholder benefits

Economic benefit is a motivator for communities and wineries to participate in events (Byrd et al., 2016; Kim et al., 2008). Two primary stakeholders have a vested interest in the success of wine festivals: participating wineries and host communities. Tourism is a driver of local wine sales, since most regional wineries are small-scale and lack access to traditional distribution channels. Nonetheless, investment in festivals needs to be evaluated against the reality that events often fail to meet expectations for returns on stakeholder investment (Crompton & Lee, 2000)