Economic links in a local agricultural economy : chefs and farmers in Los Cabos, Mexico

Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-101).Survey is in English and SpanishContemporary social movements are driving change in local agricultural and food economies, leading to increased direct marketing by farmers. The increased use of direct marketing is advocated as a means for farmers to increase their incomes. One of the under-examined dynamics in direct marketing involves the relationships between farmers and chefs. Chefs play a significant role in modern food culture. The San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California has been at the center of a "food revolution" for 40 years and is exemplified by many strong relationships between farmers and chefs and provides a useful comparison for a developing region such as Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Farmers and chefs in Northern California hold similar views on many of the issues important to contemporary food movements. Farmers in Los Cabos tend to hold very similar views, but the chefs in the region do not appear to place the same importance on many issues ranging from environment to social justice. Fostering closer relationships between the two groups in Los Cabos may help strengthen ties so that local farmers become less reliant on the export market