ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 6 No 3 S2 May 2015 24 Indigenous Food and Tourism for Community Well-Being: A Possible Contributing Way Forward Dr. Erasmus Mzobanzi Mnguni Head of Department, Hospitality and Tourism Department (Ritson Campus), Durban University of Technology, P. O. Box 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa Dr. Andrea Giampiccoli Research Associate, Hospitality and Tourism Department (Ritson Campus), Durban University of Technology, P. O. Box 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s2p24 Abstract Indigenous food has been recognized as a strategy to enhance community well-being; however its usage is decreasing due to a number of factors. At the same time indigenous food has been linked to issues such as biodiversity, and tourism. Indigenous food link to culinary arts is seen as possible way to revive the usage of indigenous food to enhance community well-being and tourism development. Using these issues as a background this paper aims to propose a possible strategy to contribute to community well-being by using indigenous food as a leverage and pivotal force. This is done by proposing a Teaching and Learning centre for indigenous food and cultural tourism to be developed within a tertiary education institution. Hospitality and tourism students are seen as future personnel that can contribute to the revival of indigenous food. The paper is based on the analysis of available literature that covers and connects the various matters discussed in the analysis such as indigenous food, culinary art and tourism. Keywords: Indigenous food: Tourism; South Africa: Chefs, Culinary arts. Introduction, Aim and Methods 1. The use of leafy vegetables during winter helps to address food shortages at this time. Revival of the use of indigenous leafy vegetables within communities will also ensure a focus on the conservation of these crops while ensuring the availability of diverse genetic material for future needs (Venter, van Rensburg, Voster, van den Heever & van Zijl, 2007:145). The increase in tourism volume and a more discerning clientele has spurred the alert of South African’s entrepreneurs and the more innovative and adventurous chefs to invest in the development of local cuisine (du Rand, Heath & Alberts, 2003:101). An estimate of ‘over 7000 species’ of plants worldwide can be used for food (Pasquini & Young, 2009, p. XXI). Nevertheless, there are wide reports on the challenges of food insecurity especially in developing countries since human food consumption is based on a few varieties of crops (Guyomard, Darcy-Vrillon, Esnouf, Marin, Momot, Russel, & Guillou, 2011:2). Pasquini and Young (2009, P. XXI) attribute the decrease in varieties of crops suitable for human consumption to the Green Revolution. There is therefore a gap between the possible food varieties that can be utilized for human consumption and the actual varieties being consumed. This gap can be linked to food insecurity. Cloete and Idsardi’s view (2013, p. 902) is that food insecurity is caused by a relative reduction of crop varieties used for human consumption despite the improvement in agricultural technology. This results in hunger, malnutrition and deaths of humankind. Although Green Revolution brought some positive contributions, it was not suitable for Africa and other marginal territories where “many other varieties of crops continue to play significant roles in traditional farming systems” (Pasquini & Young, 2009, p. XXI). Food security should advance in context of sustainable development (Guyomard et al., 2011, p. 2). There is a correlation between culture, indigenous food, food security and nutrition. According to Damman (2005, p. 313) “the respect for indigenous food culture as part of the wider indigenous cultural identity is crucial for indigenous nutritional status and food security”. In this context, local food can be holistically utilized for community development and resolve food insecurity challenges. In the last two decades, there has been a growth of interest in the linkages between