scholarly journals Safe Food, Dangerous Lands? Traditional Foods and Indigenous Peoples in Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabitha Robin ◽  
Kristin Burnett ◽  
Barbara Parker ◽  
Kelly Skinner
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Settler Colonialism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Traditional Foods ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Safety Rules

There is a deep and troubling history on Turtle Island of settler authorities asserting control over traditional foods, market-based and other introduced foods for Indigenous peoples. Efforts to control Indigenous diets and bodies have resulted in direct impacts to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of Indigenous peoples. Food insecurity is not only a symptom of settler colonialism, but part of its very architecture. The bricks and mortar of this architecture are seen through the rules and regulations that exist around the sharing and selling of traditional or land-based foods. Risk discourses concerning traditional foods work to the advantage of the settler state, overlooking the essential connections between land and food for Indigenous peoples. This article explores the ways in which the Canadian settler state undermined and continues to undermine Indigenous food sovereignty through the imposition of food safety rules and regulations across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions.

Achieving Food Security Through Localisation, Not Aid: “De-development” and Food Sovereignty in the Palestinian Territories

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-218
Author(s):  
Yara M. Asi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Food Aid ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Humanitarian Crises

Food aid is a common response to the food insecurity brought by conflict and inadequate development. Yet the very well-intentioned actions that are meant to stave off immediate humanitarian crises may, in the long-term, serve as tools that promote dependence, decrease the likelihood of sustainable development, and make peace less possible. In this article, I examine food insecurity and food aid in the conflict-affected Palestinian territories. I will describe ways in which Palestinian efforts to localise food production and increase food security are actively hindered, as well as how the system of humanitarian food assistance meant to fill these gaps may in fact perpetuate them. Finally, I discuss policy recommendations for stakeholders in the conflict that can encourage Palestinian food sovereignty in a manner that increases prospects for long-term peace and development, while providing immediate benefits for Palestinian quality of life and well-being.

scholarly journals Building Healthy Community Relationships Through Food Security and Food Sovereignty

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Treena Delormier ◽  
Kaylia Marquis
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Personnel Turnover ◽  
Healthy Community

ABSTRACTBackgroundFood insecurity disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples and is linked to poor health outcomes. Indigenous Peoples’ food systems once sustained their thriving societies; however, colonial policies of displacement and imposed assimilation severed connections to Indigenous food systems and lands, disrupting identity, culture, and well-being.ObjectiveIn this article we share a grass-roots designed program that addresses food security and heeds Haudenosaunee teachings. The Story of Creation, the Great Law, and Ohénton Karihwatéhkwen (the words that come before all else) were the basis of the framework. The program acknowledges and uses community strengths and skills to enhance social connections and links with land and creation.MethodsThe program brought together interested and knowledgeable community members and stakeholders to discuss and better understand food security in the community. This group formed as an advisory group called Ieiénthos Akotióhkwa – ‘Planting Group’ who shaped the food security activities.ResultsThe program delivered workshops to build skills and share knowledge about food production and preparation. It targeted diverse participant interests and needs within an environment meant to nurture social connections. The program planted food-bearing trees and plants and created a seed library to create edible landscapes. We invited a broad scope of community knowledge- and skill-holders to share their talents with the community, to reinforce positive connections with each other, and to carry on cultural practices.ConclusionsChallenges included program sustainability linked to short-term funding and personnel turnover. Strengths involved using a culturally based framework that enhanced program coherence, and facilitated collaboration with local initiatives focused on well-being, practicing culture, and respecting the environment. Haudenosaunee teachings hold values and principles for a society that provides food for all. These teachings are a framework for a culturally rich program to support food security skills and resources, but also Indigenous cultural identity and practices.

scholarly journals Beyond Food Security: Challenges in Food Safety Policies Based on International Certifications along a Heterogeneous Food Chain. Its Effects in Mexican´s Health and Poverty

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yesica Mayett-Moreno ◽  
Jennie Sheerin Popp ◽  
Philip Crandall
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Federal Budget ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Safe Food

Taking four of the United Nations Development Goals as reference, this overview describes the need to see from a systemic perspective, the food certifications programs along the food chain in Mexico as today food certifications are voluntary. Using secondary data, the main objectives were: a) there is a fall short in food safety policies and those federal agencies responsible for food safety, to guarantee safe food along the whole domestic food chain, especially in that for low income players; b) the amount of the Mexican Federal Budget Expenses devoted to safety food issues is really low, considering the health, well- being, and food security consequences; and c) due the structural heterogeneity of the Mexican food market, there is a lack of coordination in food regulations along all agents of the food supply chain, bringing to alternate informal markets that put at risk peoples´ health, increasing poverty and inequalities. According to this exercise, only 0.7- 8.7% of producers, 12.5% of supermarkets as well as 42.8% of restaurants would have some type of certifications. Public policies must attend this issue in order to improve food safety and security for the whole population, reducing inequalities, poverty and ensuring them a healthy live.

scholarly journals First Nations Food Environments: Exploring the Role of Place, Income, and Social Connection

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantelle Richmond ◽  
Marylynn Steckley ◽  
Hannah Neufeld ◽  
Rachel Bezner Kerr ◽  
Kathi Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Traditional Foods ◽  
Cross Sectional

ABSTRACT Background In Canada, few studies have examined how place shapes Indigenous food environments, particularly among Indigenous people living in southern regions of Ontario. Objective This paper examines and compares circumstances of food insecurity that impact food access and dietary quality between reserve-based and urban-based Indigenous peoples in southwestern Ontario. Methods This study used a community-based survey containing a culturally adapted food-frequency questionnaire and cross-sectional study design to measure food insecurity, food access, and dietary quality among Indigenous respondents living in urban (n = 130) and reserve-based (n = 99) contexts in southwestern Ontario. Results Rates of food insecurity are high in both geographies (55% and 35% among urban- and reserve-based respondents, respectively). Urban-based participants were 6 times more likely than those living on-reserve to report 3 different measures of food insecurity. Urban respondents reported income to be a significant barrier to food access, while for reserve-based respondents, time was the most pressing barrier. Compared with recommendations from Canada's Food Guide, our data revealed overwhelming trends of insufficient consumption in 3 food categories among all respondents. Close to half (54% and 52%) of the urban- and reserve-based samples reported that they eat traditional foods at least once a week, and respondents from both groups (76% of urban- and 52% of reserve-based respondents) expressed interest in consuming traditional foods more often. Conclusions Indigenous Food Sovereignty and community-led research are key pathways to acknowledge and remedy Indigenous food insecurity. Policies, social movements, and research agendas that aim to improve Indigenous food security must be governed and defined by Indigenous people themselves. Indigenous food environments constitute political, social, and cultural dimensions that are infinitely place based.

scholarly journals Exploring the Perceptions of and Experiences with Traditional Foods among First Nations Female Youth: A Participatory Photovoice Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2214
Author(s):  
Rebecca Hanemaayer ◽  
Kimberley Anderson ◽  
Jess Haines ◽  
Kitty RLynn Lickers ◽  
Adrianne Lickers Xavier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Traditional Food ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Traditional Foods ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Photovoice Methodology

Traditional foods contribute to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Many Indigenous Peoples within Canada have expressed a desire to consume more traditional foods; however, there are a number of barriers to doing so. Southern and urban communities face unique challenges associated with traditional food consumption. To address these concerns and build on community interests in a Haudenosaunee community in Southern Ontario, a participatory research project was initiated. This community-based study utilized Photovoice methodology to explore the perceptions of and experiences with traditional foods among local youth. Participants ranging in age from 15–22 (n = 5) took photos of their local food environments, including locations where foods were acquired, consumed, prepared, or shared during two seasons of the year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect participants’ stories behind 8–10 self-selected images. A thematic analysis was subsequently utilized to identify patterns and themes illustrated by the photos and interview content. The youth conveyed contextual understandings of traditional foods and a preference for these items, despite their limited consumption, preparation or harvesting of these foods. The youth also identified the important influence of families and communities on their individual perceptions and experiences with traditional foods. Recommendations to reduce barriers to traditional food choices among youth are made.

scholarly journals Being on Land and Sea in Troubled Times: Climate Change and Food Sovereignty in Nunavut

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 508
Author(s):  
Bindu Panikkar ◽  
Benjamin Lemmond
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Traditional Foods ◽  
Consistent Picture

Climate change driven food insecurity has emerged as a topic of special concern in the Canadian Arctic. Inuit communities in this region rely heavily on subsistence; however, access to traditional food sources may have been compromised due to climate change. Drawing from a total of 25 interviews among Inuit elders and experienced hunters from Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk in Nunavut, Canada, this research examines how climate change is impacting food sovereignty and health. Our results show that reports of food insecurity were more pronounced in Kugluktuk than Cambridge Bay. Participants in Kugluktuk consistently noted declining availability of preferred fish and game species (e.g., caribou, Arctic char), a decline in participation of sharing networks, and overall increased difficulty accessing traditional foods. Respondents in both communities presented a consistent picture of climate change compounding existing socio-economic (e.g., poverty, disconnect between elders and youth) and health stressors affecting multiple aspects of food sovereignty. This article presents a situated understanding of how climate change as well as other sociocultural factors are eroding food sovereignty at the community-scale in the Arctic. We argue that a communal focus is required to address resilience and adaptation at the local level through programs that protect the local cultural knowledge, traditional ways of life, and indigenous sovereignty to reduce the severities of food insecurity in the Arctic stemming from climate change.

scholarly journals Who Is Serving Us? Food Safety Rules Compliance Among Brazilian Food Truck Vendors

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lígia Auad ◽  
Verônica Ginani ◽  
Eliana dos Santos Leandro ◽  
Aline Nunes ◽  
Luiz Domingues Junior ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Food Contamination ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Foodborne Illnesses ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Food Trucks ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Safety Rules

The rise of food trucks as an eating out option requires knowledge of this sector. Balancing the reality of the food truck sector with access to safe food should guide actions and public policies to cater to its peculiarities. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the Brazilian food truck vendors’ profile regarding their socioeconomic status and compliance with food safety rules. From the 118 food truck vendors registered in the Brazilian Federal District, 30% (n = 35) participated in the study. We conducted structured interviews from December 2017 to April 2018. We ranked compliance levels according to a five-point Likert scale based on calculated compliance scores. The interviews revealed that food truck vendors were mostly married males, who had completed at least a tertiary education level, and wanted to start up their own businesses. The compliance levels depict good compliance with food safety rules (overall compliance (OC)-score = 0.69, on a 0 to 1 scale). The food trucks assessed in this study distinguished themselves from the street food and food retail sectors due to their operational structure and the complexity of food production processes. Those particular features should be considered to ensure adequate and effective sanitary control and inspections, as well as to reduce the probability of microbial growth and food contamination and the consequent risk of foodborne illnesses.

scholarly journals Growing Beyond Nutrition:

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Timler ◽  
Colleen Varcoe ◽  
Helen Brown
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
System A ◽  
Organic Produce

Many Indigenous communities in Canada experience disproportionate rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases impacted by historic and ongoing colonialism. Barriers to health and wellbeing associated with ongoing colonial processes also have resulted in inequities for Indigenous peoples within the criminal justice system. A prison garden program in British Columbia, Canada, attempts to address inmate rehabilitation and Indigenous community food insecurity by supporting incarcerated men to grow and subsequently donate organic produce to rural and remote Indigenous communities. Qualitative research undertaken to study program impacts shows that the focus on food security for Indigenous communities, while important, does not take into account wider contexts of colonialism and the importance of access to land, resources and rights inherent in food sovereignty. The study findings signal the limitations of programs and research that focus solely on food security for Indigenous peoples, and outlines how accounting for the colonial context can emphasize the critical role of Indigenous values, community strengths, and priorities for fostering food sovereignty and health.

scholarly journals Addressing Household Food Insecurity in Canada – Position Statement and Recommendations – Dietitians of Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-159 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Canadian Government ◽  
Household Food ◽  
The Impact

POSITION STATEMENT It is the position of Dietitians of Canada that household food insecurity is a serious public health issue with profound effects on physical and mental health and social well-being. All households in Canada must have sufficient income for secure access to nutritious food after paying for other basic necessities. Given the alarming prevalence, severity and impact of household food insecurity in Canada, Dietitians of Canada calls for a pan-Canadian, government-led strategy to specifically reduce food insecurity at the household level, including policies that address the unique challenges of household food insecurity among Indigenous Peoples. Regular monitoring of the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity across all of Canada is required. Research must continue to address gaps in knowledge about household vulnerability to food insecurity and to evaluate the impact of policies developed to eliminate household food insecurity in Canada. Dietitians of Canada recommends: Development and implementation of a pan-Canadian government-led strategy that includes coordinated policies and programs, to ensure all households have consistent and sufficient income to be able to pay for basic needs, including food. Implementation of a federally-supported strategy to comprehensively address the additional and unique challenges related to household food insecurity among Indigenous Peoples, including assurance of food sovereignty, with access to lands and resources, for acquiring traditional/country foods, as well as improved access to more affordable and healthy store-bought/market foods in First Nation reserves and northern and remote communities. Commitment to mandatory, annual monitoring and reporting of the prevalence of marginal, moderate and severe household food insecurity in each province and territory across Canada, including among vulnerable populations, as well as regular evaluation of the impact of poverty reduction and protocols for screening within the health care system. Support for continued research to address gaps in knowledge about populations experiencing greater prevalence and severity of household food insecurity and to inform the implementation and evaluation of strategies and policies that will eliminate household food insecurity in Canada.

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