'Farm to Table': Air Transport Issues for an Island State

Abstract

Traditionally, a combination of heavy industry and forestry has bolstered the island state of Tasmania's economy. However, over the past two decades, the state's economic structure has seen the decline of these and the growth of industries in tourism and specialised agriculture. Although challenged by sea transport, the air transport industry is critical to these two emerging industries. Evidence of the dependency is found in the growing 'farm to table' movement and culinary tourism, which requires the timely and effective air transport of tourists and perishable agricultural goods between regional communities and major city centres. This paper explores the 'farm to table' movement and the importance of aviation in the developing economies of these communities.