The Potential Use of Agroforestry Community Gardens as a Sustainable Import-Substitution Strategy for Enhancing Food Security in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Abstract:The high prevalence of food insecurity experienced by northern First Nations partially results from dependence on an expensive import-based food system that typically lacks nutritional quality and further displaces traditional food systems. In the present study, the feasibility of import substitution by Agroforestry Community Gardens (AFCGs) as socio-ecologically and culturally sustainable means of enhancing food security was explored through a case study of Fort Albany First Nation in subarctic Ontario, Canada. Agroforestry is a diverse tree-crop agricultural system that has enhanced food security in the tropics and subtropics. Study sites were selected for long-term agroforestry research to compare Salix spp. (willow)-dominated AFCG plots to a -no tree‖ control plot in Fort Albany. Initial soil and vegetative analysis revealed a high capacity for all sites to support mixed produce with noted modifications, as well as potential competitive and beneficial willow-crop interactions. It is anticipated that inclusion of willow trees will enhance the long-term productive capacity of the AFCG test plots. As an adaptable and dynamic system, AFCGs have potential to act as a more reliable local agrarian system and a refuge for culturally significant plants in high-latitude First Nation socio-ecological systems, which are particularly vulnerable to rapid cultural, climatic, and ecological change.

Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change: Producing Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) and Bush Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for Improved Food Security and Resilience in a Canadian Subarctic First Nations Community

“…All sites were mechanically tilled with two vertical and two horizontal passes to ensure a tilled depth of approximately 20 cm. Any biomass on the soil surface was tilled into the soil to help enhance levels of soil organic matter, as recommended by Spiegelaar et al [33].…”

“…The sites were located within a few hundred meters of the community, far enough away to avoid any disturbances but close enough to the community for logistical reasons. Detailed soil and vegetation analyses were carried out by Spiegelaar et al who noted that the sites had soil conditions amenable for agricultural use [33]. The treed sites (Site A and B in Spiegelaar et al [33]) were located within mature, parallel rows of willow (Salix spp.)…”

“…Detailed soil and vegetation analyses were carried out by Spiegelaar et al who noted that the sites had soil conditions amenable for agricultural use [33]. The treed sites (Site A and B in Spiegelaar et al [33]) were located within mature, parallel rows of willow (Salix spp.) growing on the banks of old drainage ditches.…”

“…In order to maintain appropriate water content, old drainage trenches were re-dug or new ones dug between each plot. The trenches were dug as deep as possible, to control soil moisture within the crops as recommended by Spiegelaar et al [33]. All sites were mechanically tilled with two vertical and two horizontal passes to ensure a tilled depth of approximately 20 cm.…”

“…growing on the banks of old drainage ditches. The open site (Site C in Spiegelaar et al [33]) was located ~200 m from the treed sites, in an open field without any trees. Soil samples from all sites were collected to carry out toxicological analyses-a suite of persistent organic pollutants and a suite of toxic metals-since there is a history of environmental contamination in many First Nations reserves across Canada.…”