Cosmopolitan Locavorism: Global Local-food Movements in Postcolonial Hong Kong

Abstract

This ethnographic study examines how “locavorism,” or food localism, is articulated in the under-studied context of Hong Kong. Influences from diverse cultures and social systems brought about by colonization and transnational financial activities have created a mosaic of “Western” and “Eastern” traditions in this land-starved metropolis, rendering it an unlikely setting to preach about “eating locally” and going “back-to-the-land.” However, localism and the discourse of reviving agriculture began to burgeon a few years after the 1997 handover. Against the backdrop of this oxymoron, this research investigates and compares ideas of young urban farmers and food activists to other interpretations of localness. By examining multi-vocality, this paper engages with debates surrounding cosmopolitanism and conceptualizes an analytical perspective, which I refer to here as cosmopolitan locavorism. This concept is proposed to argue that locavorism in Hong Kong is distinct from defensive localism, the cultural consumption of globetrotting elites, or an urban fascination with rural lifestyles. It simultaneously signifies trans-local connections and human-land bonds, mobilizing a cultural critique of local neoliberal governmentality rather than allying with anti-globalization or “anti-China” sentiments. In this context, “local food” embodies place-based experiences instead of a place-bounded state of mind.