Abstract
Although livelihoods in rural Panama have changed significantly in recent times, and purchasing rice has become common, swidden rice cultivation has continued. I explore small-scale farmers’ preferences regarding swidden rice production and consumption in a campesino community through semi-structured interviews with 55 households and participant observation of food production and consumption. The rice farmers cultivated an average of 6,217 m2 of swidden and harvested 344 kg of unhulled rice per year. With decreasing rice production and poor economic efficiency, people enjoy the particular taste of swidden rice, arroz nuevo, and colored rice, which symbolizes the cultural identity, tradition, and dignity of rural life.
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