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

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