ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the central role of food in generating local place identities and explores its potential as a tool for local economic development. It argues that traditional agricultural communities such as Charles Town and Seaford Town with their distinctive cultural characteristics, identity and sense of place are emblematic of Ray's notion of a culture economy. Food tourism, argues Harvey, is rooted in agriculture and the rural sector. The ethnographic research investigates the role of culture and tourism in the development of rural communities in Jamaica. Seaford Town's roasted pork is an indelible part of the community's identity and its association with the German descendants. The demise of agriculture in regions such as the Caribbean has magnified the role of tourism in local development strategies. However, reductions in local tariff charges have made it difficult for home-grown Jamaican foods to compete with imports.
