The Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy (INFSS), introduced today by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, sets the foundation for ending hunger in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland in Canada. It advances Inuit-driven solutions for improving food security and creating sustainable food systems in Inuit Nunangat.
The high prevalence of food insecurity among Inuit is among the longest-lasting public health crises in Canada. It is impacted by several interrelated drivers, including poverty, high cost of living, climate change, inadequate infrastructure and systemic racism.
The INFSS lays the groundwork for transformational change in the food supply dynamics that directly contribute to food insecurity. The vast majority of foods Inuit consume are shipped thousands of kilometers by air and sea, while a tremendous volume of food leaves the region through commercial export.
The Strategy calls for coordinated actions and investments to address these imbalances, by supporting harvesting activities and Inuit wildlife management decision-making, subsidizing and regulating food transportation, improving food processing infrastructure locally, and supporting regional food production through the development of local food markets.
It identifies measurable objectives within five priority areas: research and advocacy; food system and wellbeing; legislation and policy; programs and services; and knowledge and skills. Implementation will take place through the collaborative structure of the Inuit Crown Partnership Committee, for which food security has been a shared priority area since the ICPC was created in 2017.
This strategy was developed by ITK, together with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivik Corporation and the Nunatsiavut Government, as well as the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, and the National Inuit Youth Council.