c.

Overpopulated

d.

A good supply of imported foods and availability of cash to buy them.

The results of the interviews and observations are therefore categorized
according to the three communities defined above and are tabulated as follows:
Table - 1:
Table - 2:
Table - 3:
Results

For Community A indicating the quantities of local foods
consumed

For Community 8 indicating the quantities of local foods

consumed

For Community C indicating the quantities of local foods

consumed

and Discussion

One of the most significant results of the dietary interview was the deter-

1a

mivatton of the relative portions of local foods in the islander's diet. Tables
| to 3 show that the amounts of local foods prepared and eaten varies considerably in each community, but that the relative proportions of the local foods
wh .ch are prepared and eaten are strikingly consistent, regardless of the respective availability of imported foods in each of the three communities.
With respect to imported foods, Community (A) was chosen on the basis of low availabilitv.
All islanders of this community are primarily copra producers and retain
their traditional food gathering lifestyle in an area of correspondingly maximum

local food availability.

Community (B) was chosen because of high availability

or imported foods due to the presence of a well stocked co-op store and the prolizeration of government jobs.
No copra is made at community (B) and as noted

elsewhere in the Marshall Islands the development of a “westernized' economy results (primarily due to the limited land area) in a corresponding minimizing of
local food availability. Community (C) was chosen for its large food subsidy
and the low availability of local foods resulting from high population density.
It is assumed that imported foods are highly available at (C), moderately availab.e at (B) and of limited availability at (A). From Tables 1, 2 and 3 it appears

that

the consumption of local foods

is

100% for Community A, 33% for Commu-

nity B and 25% for Community C, of the total diet (local and imported food).

There is a tendency for the islanders to prepare and cook less local food as
imported foods become more and more available.
Nevertheless, the relative portions of the local foods eaten appear to remain constant regardless of the avail-

ability of imported foods either from a "westernized" economy or a food subsidy
program. This is dramatically evident when we compare the amount of coconuts
(in all stages of growth and in the different modes of preparation) consumed,

for example, they constitute: 55% of total local diet in Community (A), 58% in
Community (B) and 47% in Community (C). The relative portions of the various
other local foods seems only to change significantly due to environmental

conditions. For instance, the fishing at community (B) is widely reputed to be
the best in the Marshalls. This explains why fish accounts for 36% of the local
diet at (B) as compared to 29% at (A); whereas the islanders at (C) (where there

1 ®@

exists limited opportunity for fishing) estimate

fish to be only 19% of the

Select target paragraph3