Title: Tourism and food sovereignty: case study on Bolivar's concheras (Esmeraldas, Ecuador)

Authors: Elena Sánchez-Díaz

Addresses: GEISA (Grupo para el Estudio de las Identidades Socioculturales en Andalucía), Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, 41004, Spain

Abstract: The analysis of the touristic activities' impacts in rural areas has been -and continues to be- object of study for anthropology. The results of its effect in the food sovereignty of destinations are clearly ambivalent. Through a case study that took place in the Bolívar's Parish, a small destination aiming to be touristic, located in the coast of the Ecuadorian North Pacific, the work of las concheras has been analysed. It is a traditional activity that consists of the manual collection of different types of shellfish that exist in the mangrove. Some problems have been observed because of the installation of ponds for shrimp farming more than 20 years ago and, due to the arrival of the touristic activity to the neighbouring towns, this collective has been trying to draw attention and give value to their work by generating transformation strategies to penetrate the touristic market.

Keywords: tourism; food sovereignty; Bolívar's concheras; gender perspective; shrimp farming ponds; Esmeraldas-Ecuador.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTA.2023.130851

International Journal of Tourism Anthropology, 2023 Vol.9 No.2, pp.161 - 179

Received: 02 Jan 2022
Accepted: 14 Dec 2022
Published online: 12 May 2023 *

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