Return migrants, mini‐tours and rural regeneration: A study of local food movement in Taiwan

Abstract

AbstractSince the turn of the century, food safety has been one of the most significant social issues in Taiwan. In face of a series of alarming food‐poisoning scares, which pushed many Taiwanese to search for good safe food, the Taiwanese authorities have initiated a variety of strategies to handle food production issues. At county level, government sponsored projects, such as rural regeneration projects, have coincided with a wave of return migration, in which young city dwellers have returned to rural towns in order to engage in sustainable food production. There is also a popularising trend of ‘mini‐tours’, a leisurely activity that sees urban tourists visiting rural regions in search of ‘authentic’ traditions, such as those around food. This confluence of food safety concerns, official rural regeneration schemes, civil movements for sustainable food production, local tourism and emerging discourses on authentic food and food localism has fashioned an interesting food scene in Taiwan. This paper will examine the impacts of these joint forces. It will also illustrate how local food producers have struggled to construct a new food producer–consumer relationship that also contributes to the sustainable development of Taiwan.