Role of routine dietary habits and subsistence crops in a rural Panamanian community with diversified livelihood strategies

Abstract

This study examines the role of subsistence crops in contemporary food culture in rural communities with diversified livelihoods. The study was conducted in eight households in the campesino community in the tropical region of Panama, using 4-month dietary records of highly consumed staple and protein foods, including consumption frequency of each crop, acquisition, and cooked menu. Household surveys, participant observation, and interviews were also conducted to examine food practices. Rice, grown or purchased, is an essential staple food, and verdura foods, such as tuber and banana, are particularly consumed simmered at lunch. Verdura is acquired from different land use types, including swidden, agroforestry, and homegardens, as well as purchased from village markets and gifted from other households. The habit of verdura consumption that allows households with different livelihoods to exchange resources through the village markets has enabled effective land use in the village. Maize and poultry, although grown within the village, are mainly acquired from outside. However, the specific value of taste connected to the harvest is recognized and sought after for special meals eaten on specific occasions. The current food culture, which allows for positive selection of food obtained through land and village markets, links households with different livelihoods, regardless of their degree of subsistence, to local food production. As lifestyles change, initiatives are needed to maintain residents’ positive perceptions of local foods to maintain food security in the area.