Designing biocultural revival through gourmet culture in the Central Valley of Tarija, Bolivia: Considering sustainability within design ethnobiology

The promotion of regional gastronomy alongside selected local and regional foods is an important component of the rural territorial development model that has come into vogue across Latin America over the last decade. I use examples from the Central Valley of Tarija, Bolivia, to examine some of the questions and challenges raised by such development initiatives with respect to biocultural sustainability and implications for design ethnobiology. Designing new regimes of value for local and regional food products is most often seen as a win-win development intervention. Biocultural diversity is promoted and rural economies are revitalized through new markets for biocultural materials that encourage small-scale producer participation. However, redesigning the values surrounding biocultural materials is not consequence free. My findings point to some of the potential ecological and social pitfalls that new value regimes can engender and I conclude by discussing what such insights bring to the development of design ethnobiology. (Please note that I request this paper to be considered for inclusion in the Design Ethnobiology Session.)