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Chapitre D'ouvrage Année : 2005

Food Security in the Era of Globalisation - The case of Mauritius

Kirsten Koop

Résumé

Given their slight landmasses and lack of resources, small island states enjoy only
limited opportunities for achieving nutritional self-sufficiency. Most of them are
burdened, moreover, by a heavy colonial heritage. The introduction of the plantation
system (mostly in the form of sugar cane plantations) meant that the vast majority
of arable land was monopolized by the production of export crops. This system
has been perpetuated up to the present, with a consequent loss of actively or
potentially cultivable land suitable for producing crops for local consumption (Hills
1996: 71). Thus, small island states are often forced to import considerable quantities
of food for local consumption, and, as a consequence, find themselves dependent
upon export production to obtain the foreign currency they require.
The island of Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean, is often referred to as
one of the very few developing countries to have overcome poverty and hunger by
participating successfully in the globalization of the world market (see Nunnenkamp
1998: 32). In fact, the export-oriented industrialization policy followed by the
Mauritian government in the 1980s resulted in a remarkable economic boom and
led to secure food access for the population. The island's extreme dependence on
the world market, however, poses risks for the sustainability of its food security.
The following article analyzes the potentialities and limitations of
Mauritian policies aimed at securing food availability and access to food in the
era of globalization.
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Dates et versions

halshs-00265114 , version 1 (18-03-2008)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : halshs-00265114 , version 1

Citer

Kirsten Koop. Food Security in the Era of Globalisation - The case of Mauritius. KRACHT U., SCHULZ M. Food and Nutrition Security in the Process of Globalisation and Urbanisation. Vol. II : Responses to Globalisation Processes., Edition Lit, Berlin, pp.712-723, 2005. ⟨halshs-00265114⟩
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