Community Development to Feed the Family in Northern Manitoba Communities: Evaluating Food Activities based on Their Food Sovereignty, Food Security, and Sustainable Livelihood Outcomes

Abstract

This article explores food-related activities and their impacts on sustainable livelihood assets, food sovereignty, and food security, and provides insight for future food-related community development. Analysis is based on community food assessments conducted in 14 Northern Manitoba communities and included a food security survey, price survey, and interviews. The lack of community control over development in First Nation and other Northern remote and rural communities in Northern Manitoba is found to undermine both food sovereignty and sustainable livelihoods, while creating high levels of food insecurity. According to logit models, sharing country foods increases food sovereignty and sustainable livelihoods, and has a stronger relationship to food security than either road access to retail stores in urban centres or increased competition between stores. The model predicts that rates of food insecurity for a community with a country foods program and with access to public transit and roads at 95% would be lower than the Canadian average of 92%. RÉSUMÉCet article explore les activités relatives à l'alimentation et leur impact sur les biens durables ainsi que sur la souveraineté et la sécurité alimentaires tout en ouvrant des perspectives sur le développement communautaire futur relatif à l'alimentation. L'analyse se fonde sur une recherche menée dans quatorze communautés du nord du Manitoba et comprend un premier sondage sur la sécurité alimentaire, un second sondage sur les prix, et des entrevues. Le manque de contrôle du développement dans les communautés reculées du nord du Manitoba, tant autochtones que non-autochtones, mine à la fois la souveraineté alimentaire et les moyens To be notified about new ANSERJ articles, click subscribe.

Environnement alimentaire de la vente au détail et expériences de magasinage dans les collectivités des Premières nations du nord des provinces

“…Par exemple, une étude de 2012 sur 14 collectivités du nord du Manitoba a révélé que les trois quarts des ménages (75 %) étaient en situation d'insécurité ali mentaire. L'incidence et la gravité de l'insécurité alimentaire étaient variables, avec des taux généralement plus élevés dans les collectivités accessibles unique ment par avion que dans celles accessibles par la route ou par chemin de fer 12 . De même, d'après une étude menée en 2013 sur la Première nation de Fort Albany, établie le long de la côte de la baie James dans ce qui constitue aujourd'hui le nord de l'Ontario, 70 % des ménages vivaient dans l'insécurité alimentaire 13 .…”

“…58 . Parmi les solutions à l'insécurité alimen taire, notons un accès facilité pour les peu ples autochtones aux aliments terrestres et marins grâce à des réseaux communau taires de partage d'aliments, des pro grammes d'aide à la récolte et à la chasse et par l'utilisation de congélateurs commu nautaires 4,12,16 . Autrement dit, la souve raineté alimentaire des Autochtones est indispensable à la décolonisation des envi ronnements alimentaires locaux.…”

Retail food environments, shopping experiences, First Nations and the provincial Norths

“…The incidence and severity of food insecurity varied, with fly-in communities generally having more severe and higher rates of food insecurity than those with road or train access. 12 Similarly, a 2013 study in Fort Albany First Nation, located along the James Bay coast in present-day northern Ontario, found that 70% of households suffered from food insecurity. 13 Both works note that the retail environments of fly-in First Nations have limited options, and that lack of access to all-weather roads has an enormous impact on food security.…”

“…13 Both works note that the retail environments of fly-in First Nations have limited options, and that lack of access to all-weather roads has an enormous impact on food security. 12 The largest and most common retailer in First Nations communities in the provincial Norths is the North West Company (NWC). Also known as the Northern Store, the NWC has a long history in these communities as the former Northern Department of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC).…”

“…3,p.58 Solutions to food insecurity include increasing Indigenous peoples' access to land-and water-based foods through supporting community food sharing networks, harvester and hunter support programs and community freezers. 4,12,16 In other words, Indigenous food sovereignty is essential to decolonizing local food environments. However, Indigenous food sovereignty has focussed primarily on control over land-and water-based foods, and while this is extremely important, such a focus can obscure the fact that market-based food systems remain prohibitive in terms of costs and negligent regarding food selection and quality.…”