Women's work in tourism and agriculture: Towards an understanding of food security in the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies.

摘要

As the traditional export-oriented agricultural economy of Dominica faces a precarious future, tourism is increasingly touted as the island's only path to development. However, the impacts of tourism on community development and food security in Dominica remains largely unexplored. Through a detailed description of the roles and experiences of six women who work in tourism and agriculture in and around the city of Roseau (gathered from depth interviews conducted over the summer of 1999), this study aims to render a deeper understanding of community development and food security in Dominica. This study revealed specific transitory threats to food security in Dominica masked by current quantitative assessments. Moreover, this study concludes that while tourism and agricultural businesses are biased towards middle class women with access to capital and land, overall these operations had a positive impact on both community development and food security.