Decolonizing moana stomachs: recipes for food sovereignty from Oceania

Colonialism, militarization and contemporary corporate food regimes
have eroded the food sovereignty of the populations of Oceania. Such
phenomenon named gastro-colonialism, has not only shaped local foodways
with tinned and processed food, building a taste for it, but also made
islands dependent from external food provisioning. In order to stress the
relevance of the food sovereignty paradigm as a new arena for the emergence
of collective actions in Oceania, this article analyzes firstly, the food
sovereignty concept within the wider sovereignty issue, highlighting the
plural and interconnected nature of sovereign-ties. Secondly, by analyzing
the imperial forces accountable for such food dependency, it addresses the
case of Tonga where the inalienability of the land could possibly shape a
food sovereign milieu. Lastly, through a selection of indigenous artists,
poets and writers bringing forward Hau‘ofa legacy it illustrates possible
“recipes” that could be scaled up to decolonize moana foodscapes.