Changes in subsistence practices and diet in Papua New Guinea

Book section

Papua New Guinea (PNG) became a nation state in 1975. Prior to that it had ninety-one years under colonial authority of one sort or another. It is the largest tropical island, with high rainfall and considerable geographical diversity. Coastal regions, inland swamps and highland valleys all provide ecosystems distinct from each other, and history and geography have together helped to shape dietary patterns in PNG.

The agricultural ecology of PNG has evolved over the last 10,000 years or so in response to varied environmental conditions, demographic pressures and social and cultural needs. Subsistence practices changed throughout prehistory as new crops were introduced or 'traded in'. The pace of change accelerated with the onset of European colonial administration which brought with it many new crops, including cash crops. Concomitant with this was the introduction of a cash economy and the possibility of wage labour. Foods imported from other countries also became available. With independence, the range of subsistence options has not increased, but the proportion of people involved in either cash cropping or wage labour has. Dietary change is taking place at an ever greater rate, and this chapter examines this process from prehistory until 1984.

Authors: Ulijaszek, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Leicester University Press
• Host title: Food, diet and economic change past and present
• Pages: 183-206
• Publication date: 1993-01-01
• Edition: Publisher's version
• ISBN: 0718514505
• Language: English
• Keywords: History; Papua New Guinea; Subsistence economy; Food habits; Nutrition; Diet
• Subjects: Economic history; Economic and Social History; History of other areas; Anthropology