Food Security - ArcticNet Eastern Arctic Regional Science Meeting

Food SecurityFood Security

James Ford & Sara StathamArcticNet Eastern Arctic Regional Science MeetingIqaluit, NunavutNovember 6, 2012

• Chapter team• Draft chapter overview• Why is this issue a concern?• Who/what does this issue affect?• What do we know/need to know?• Examples of “research to action”• Next steps

Outline

• Also invited: Brian Laird, Marlene Evans, Gary Stern, Michael Power, Lisa Loseto

Chapter team

James Ford Sara Statham Laurie Chan• Lead author

• McGill University

• Professor

• Department of Geography

• Food security and climate change

• Lead author

• McGill University

• Researcher

• Department of Geography

• Environmental and socioeconomic determinants of food security

• Contributing author

• University of Ottawa

• Professor

• Department of Biology

• Environmental toxicology and contaminants

1. Defining food security2. Importance of food security to health3. Food security in Canada4. Food insecurity in the Eastern Arctic5. Research to date6. The Inuit food system7. The “nutrition transition”8. Determinants of food security9. What is being done to address food insecurity10.Future research needs

Draft chapter overview

1. Defining food security

• “Food security exists when all people at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations (2003)

Endorsed by the Government of Canada

1. Defining food security

Food Security

Availability Sufficient quantities

available consistently

AccessibilitySufficient resources to

obtain food

QualitySufficient nutritional and

cultural value

UseSufficient knowledge to

prepare food

Food SecurityWorld Health Organization (2007)

2. Importance of food security

• Food security and health are closely linked– Food insecure = compromised health status

• There are many health impacts of food insecurity– Physical– Psychological– Social

• UN Special Rapporteur visited Canada in May 2012

• Wanted to examine the way in which the Right to Food is being realized in Canada

• “Canada has long been seen as a land of plenty,” yet “rates of food insecurity are unacceptable”

Olivier De Shutter

• Particularly concerned for the severe food insecurity faced by aboriginal peoples

3. Food security in Canada

• 70% of preschoolers live in food insecure homes

• 69% of adults have a very high prevalence of food insecurity– 6x higher than Canadian average– Highest rate for any Aboriginal

population in a developed country

• Women, children, and the elderly are most vulnerable

4. Food security in the Eastern Arctic

5. Research to date

•Anthropology•Ethnography•Country foods

Food Sharing

•Toxicology•Laboratory studies

•Country foods

Contaminants •Dietetics

•Surveys•Country foods & market foods

Nutrition Transition

•Various•Questionnaires•Country foods (& market foods)

Food Security

Prevalence•Various•Case studies•Country foods (& market foods)

Food Security

Determinants

6. The Inuit food system

Country food Store food

Production Locally obtained from natural sources

(i.e. small-scale hunting, harvesting, fishing, foraging)Labour-intensive

Distally obtained from industrial sources (i.e. large-scale factories, facilities, cultivating, irrigating)Capital-intensive

Processing Locally by hand (i.e. skinning, cleaning, preparing)

Distally by machine (i.e. slaughtering, grinding, packaging)

Distribution Small sharing networks (traditionally)Cash transactions between individual and hunter/harvester (increasingly common)

Large transportation networksCash transactions between individual and store

Preparation Often communally Often individually

Consumption Often communally Often individually

Times of reliance

Economic stress Environmental stress

7. The “nutrition transition”

• Nutrient-rich country foods

• Nutrient-poor store foods

• Availability

8. Determinants of food insecurity

Country Food Store FoodEnvironmental

• Altered migration patterns of wildlife

• Varied distribution of wildlife

• Seasonal disparity in wildlife

• Inclement weather causing flight delays

• Changing sea ice dynamics causing sea-lift delays

Socioeconomic

• Growing populations putting localized pressure on wildlife

• Lack of hunter in the household

• Stores ordering enough supply to meet demand

• Lack of worker in the household

• Presence of community food programs (i.e. food bank, soup kitchen)

• Presence of government food programs (i.e. Breakfast Programs)

• Accessibility



• Shorter sea ice season preventing hunters from using the sea ice

• Longer open water season allowing hunters to boat

• Unpredictable weather patterns

• More frequent storms• Stronger and more variable

winds causing white-out conditions

• Isolation of communities• Heavy reliance on external

transportation networks• Extreme weather events

preventing people from leaving their homes

Socioeconomic

• Level of traditional knowledge required to hunt/harvest wildlife

• Time needed to hunt/harvest• High cost of hunting (i.e.

equipment, gas)• Weakening of sharing

networks• Gambling/substance

abuse/addiction

• High cost of food• Insufficient financial

resources required to purchase food

• Inappropriate and insensitive policies/regulations

• Weak social networks• Gambling/substance

abuse/addiction

• Quality



• Contaminants affecting health of wildlife

• Freeze-thaw cycles preventing animals from adequately foraging

• Flight delays causing spoilage

Socioeconomic

• Traditional knowledge required to harvest the healthiest animals

• Nutritional knowledge required to make healthy food choices

• Language barriers (i.e. English food labels hinder unilingual Inuit)

• Use



• Changing environmental conditions leading to spoilage (i.e. caching)

• N/A

Socioeconomic

• Traditional knowledge required to prepare wildlife

• Cooking skills required to prepare groceries

• Language barriers (i.e. English recipes hinder unilingual Inuit)

• Massive public mobilization• “Feeding My Family” Facebook group• Food price protests• Grassroots initiatives

9. What is being done

• Nunavut Food Security Coalition– Seven Government of Nunavut departments– Four Inuit organizations– Broader group of partners, academics, experts, and the

public

9. What is being done

2012 2013

Sept

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

NFSC monthly meetings as per interim ToR New NFSC ToR

Thematic

discussionsSymposiu

m

Public engagement

Academic and expert advising

Process evaluation

Strateg

y Implementation Plan

Evaluation Framework

• Intervention studies• Holistic research• Improved geographic distribution of case studies• Future forecasts• Adaptation research• Focus on vulnerable sub-groups

10. Future research needs

• Multi-faced problem with multiple ramifications

Why is this issue a concern?

Factors Affecting Food Security

in Nunavut

Traditional Diet and Values

Cultural Transition

Demographics

Social Challenges

PovertyFinancial Illiteracy

Geographic Isolation

Climate Change

Environmental Contaminants

Achieving Sustainable Food Security in NunavutGN DHSS (2012)

• Those who are food insecure (some more than others)

• But also those who are not

Who/what does this issue affect?

What do we know/need to know?

What We Know What We Need to Know

• Determinants affecting “availability” and “accessibility”

• Determinants affecting “quality” and “use”

• Aspects of country food • Aspects of market food

• Country food networks are changing

• What are the implications of these changes?

• Climate change is impacting wildlife

• What are the ramifications of these impacts?

• Programs and initiatives are being undertaken

• What are the outcomes of these programs and initiatives?

• Etc. • Etc.

Examples of “research to action”

• Further exploring the questions asked by IRIS-2 organizers

• Identifying more examples of “research to action”

• Incorporating feedback from today

Next Steps

Thank You

[email protected]

Documents

Food Security - ArcticNet Eastern Arctic Regional Science Meeting