Four participants will contribute their innovative solutions to improving food security across the territories
Rates of food insecurity across Canada's territories rank among the highest in country, but Northerners are leading the way to develop innovative solutions that improve their food systems by leveraging local knowledge and ingenuity to address gaps.
In 2021, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) launched the Northern Food Innovation Challenge (NFIC), a new approach to address food security concerns at a local level. NFIC supports community-developed projects for local and Indigenous food production systems that help improve Northern food security across Canada's territories.
Food challenge seeks innovative solutions in Canada's territories
Today, Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, announced four projects that will be participating in Phase 2 of the Challenge. This next phase makes available almost $3 million in additional funding for participating groups to scale-up projects from work during Phase 1 of the Challenge as they continue developing new pathways that improve local food security.
Each project participating in Phase 2 of the Challenge was selected following a comprehensive assessment and consultation process in collaboration with the NFIC Advisory Committee, which is composed of experts in Northern food systems and food security.
Focus on community-led projects
The organizations participating in Phase 2 of the Challenge are Clyde River's Ilisaqsivik Society and Iqaluit's Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Nunavut, the Fort Simpson Métis Development Corporation in the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon First Nation Education Directorate.
Each of the participating organizations are leaders in their respective communities and are exploring solutions to different aspects of Northern food insecurity, which showcase the innovation, community knowledge and resources required to produce positive outcomes tailored to local needs.
