Community food program use in Inuvik, Northwest Territories

Abstract

BackgroundCommunity food programs (CFPs) provide an important safety-net for highly food insecure community members in the larger settlements of the Canadian Arctic. This study identifies who is using CFPs and why, drawing upon a case study from Inuvik, Northwest Territories. This work is compared with a similar study from Iqaluit, Nunavut, allowing the development of an Arctic-wide understanding of CFP use – a neglected topic in the northern food security literature.MethodsPhotovoice workshops (n=7), a modified USDA food security survey and open ended interviews with CFP users (n=54) in Inuvik.ResultsUsers of CFPs in Inuvik are more likely to be housing insecure, female, middle aged (35–64), unemployed, Aboriginal, and lack a high school education. Participants are primarily chronic users, and depend on CFPs for regular food access.ConclusionsThis work indicates the presence of chronically food insecure groups who have not benefited from the economic development and job opportunities offered in larger regional centers of the Canadian Arctic, and for whom traditional kinship-based food sharing networks have been unable to fully meet their dietary needs. While CFPs do not address the underlying causes of food insecurity, they provide an important service for communities undergoing rapid change, and need greater focus in food policy herein.

[ARTÍCULO RETRACTADO]: Seguridad alimentaria en poblaciones indígenas y campesinas: una revisión sistemática

“…An alternative and rather interesting method has been used by Ford et al 22 to assess the use of community food programs in the Canadian Arctic population. The method is called photovoice workshops, where participants are given a camera to photograph their daily life experiences for later evaluation.…”

Supporting Inuit food security: A synthesis of initiatives in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Northwest Territories

“…In small communities where only one such program may exist, inconsistent funding and operational capacity may continue to leave gaps in emergency food access provision. Moreover, while such programs increase food access, they do not address the root causes of food insecurity (Riches, 2003); without adequate policies and complementary initiatives, program users may become chronically reliant, as is the case in Inuvik (Ford, Lardeau et al, 2013).…”

“…Despite the widespread practice of program targeting, the literature suggests that in practice targeting may not always be feasible or desirable (Barrett, 2002), and it may also restrict access to individuals who would benefit from program inclusion. For instance, individuals who are middle aged or homeless are often overlooked in northern food support programs (Ford, Lardeau et al, 2013). Preferential support for certain groups may also happen implicitly, based on the locally-determined allocation of often scarce resources.…”

“…food-based hunger mitigation programs) are relatively new in the north, where strong cultures of reciprocity and food sharing have traditionally supported food access for those in need (Natcher, 2009;Wenzel, 1995). While community food programs are now widely used in major Arctic population centers, their role in smaller community contexts has not been comprehensively assessed (Ford, Lardeau, & Vanderbilt, 2012;Ford, Lardeau, Blackett, Chatwood, & Kurszewski, 2013;Lardeau et al, 2011). A number of local-scale food support programs are offered in the ISR, including food banks, soup kitchens and other hot meal providers.…”

Efficiency Analysis of the European Food Banks: Some Managerial Results

“…About the people benefiting from this help, the main socio-demographic profiles are families, the unemployed, young people seeking their first job and single women with family dependents (Ford et al, 2013). Unemployment and underemployment are behind the significant increase in the need for this type of food service (Tarasuk and Beaton, 1999).…”