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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
8. Determinants of food insecurity
Country Food Store FoodEnvironmental
• 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
8. Determinants of food insecurity
Country Food Store FoodEnvironmental
• 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
8. Determinants of food insecurity
Country Food Store FoodEnvironmental
• 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