Feeding My Family
Raising Awareness about the high cost of food in The North!
C
"It's about people coming
together and doing something
you were raised up to
believe…
...my parents
taught me that we have to
work together to make sure
everyone gets enough to eat.”
Introduction
Background
Vast Area – Few People
•2 million square kilometres
(same size as Western Europe)
•25 communities - accessible by
air and sea only
•Population of Nunavut = 31,906 1
•Population of Pangnirtung = 1506 1
1. Statistics Canada, 2011 Census of Population
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Income - vs - Cost of Food
•In 2009, the median total income for
Nunavut was $26,830/year 1
•The current average cost to feed
a family of 4 in Nunavut is
$437.00/week or $22,724/year 2
1. Second lowest in the country. Statistics Canada, Income Statistics
Division, Special Tabulations (Prepared by: Nunavut Bureau of Statistics,
November 7, 2011)
2. Nutrition North Canada; Department of Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development Canada (Note – does not include High Arctic
communities of Grise Fiord and Resolute)
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Definition of Poverty
Statistics Canada defines a
low-income household as one
which spends a much higher
proportion of its income on
the necessities of life − food,
shelter and clothing − than
does an average equivalent
household. A low-income
household is defined as one
which spends more than about
55% on necessities.”
With current high food
prices, many Northerners
would have to spend more
than 100% of their
incomes in order to feed
their families properly.
Statistics Canada does not
collect or compile data
directly measuring poverty
in Nunavut.
feedingmyfamily.org
We can’t eat just like our ancestors did
•Inuit traditional practices are still strong and hunting
for sustenance remains an important part of life
•Poverty is preventing many people from
living entirely off the land
• Start-up costs are very high:
Snowmobile ($10,000), gas ($400 per trip),
kamotik made of wood ($1000), GPS ($200)
and satellite phone ($1000), gun and
bullets. ($1000)
•Even if you are able to harvest wildlife,
it is shared among extended family members
•Traditional Foods harvested from the land now
supplement store-bought foods in the North
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Extreme Environment
• We have extreme cold
conditions, limited sunlight,
high electricity costs,
permafrost, and blindingly
high construction and
maintenance costs.
•
Many of the usual fixes
for food insecurity like
agriculture and
greenhouses are not
possible.
feedingmyfamily.org
Nunavut Sealink & Supply Inc
Transportation by Sea
•All communities receive an annual
resupply by ship
•Most economical shipping method;
mainly limited to non-perishable items
•Most people not in an economic
position to buy a year’s worth of canned
& dry goods at one time
•Inuit value system encourages sharing
of resources, resulting in bulk food
purchases consumed quickly by those in
need.
feedingmyfamily.org
Transportation by Air
•Most communities also receive
daily air service for passengers and
perishable foods.
•Air freight charges and passenger
fares are very expensive compared
to the rest of Canada – even short
distances.
•Over $3,000 for round trip travel
from Pangnirtung to Edmonton.
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Government Food Subsidy Programs
Country
Food
Distribution
Program
• Started in 2012 by Government of Nunavut
• Funding to help Nunavummiut meet basic food
needs by increasing access to country foods
• Open to community Hunters & Trappers
Organizations, registered societies, municipalities,
and Co-operatives
• Eligible projects - community freezers, paying
hunters to stock community freezers, meet
processing equipment and training, and help
establishing country food markets
feedingmyfamily.org
Government Food Subsidy Programs
Nutrition
North
Canada
(NNC)
• Started in 2011 by Government of Canada
(Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Canada)
• Food freight subsidy program that replaced
former Food Mail Program
• Intent is to provide Northerners with healthy
food choices at affordable prices
• Freight subsidy provided directly to retailers with
expectation that savings will be passed on to
their customers
feedingmyfamily.org
Why Not Move???
This is home
Costs of
moving
Arctic
Sovereignty
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The beginning of a movement
Our Group’s Intentions:
1.To raise awareness about high cost of food in Nunavut
2.To organize peaceful protests in communities
3.To provide a forum where Nunavummiut could come
together to talk about struggles with high cost of food
and the affects that hunger has on their lives
4.To unite Northerners’ voices as one
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Photos of
actual food
prices
1. TO RAISE
AWARENESS
Price
comparisons
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In Communities
across Nunavut
In Ottawa
2. TO
ORGANIZE
PROTESTS
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Protesting brings awareness,
but goes against tradition
“Protesting is not something Inuit traditionally do.
Inuit are taught not cause disruption to others.
In the past, this was one of the main consensus:
everyone needed to work together to survive
in the harsh environment.”
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Brainstorming
communitybased solutions
Sharing
stories of
personal
struggles
Questioning the
effectiveness of
Government
programs &
policy
3. TO PROVIDE
A DISCUSSION
FORUM FOR
NUNAVUMMIUT
Organizing
spin-off groups
to offer
immediate
help to hungry
people
Food for Nunavut Group,
Nunavut Adopt-a-Family
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4. TO UNITE ALL
NORTHERN VOICES
AS ONE – WITH
ONE STRONG
MESSAGE
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What we heard from our members
It’s a struggle
to buy
healthy food
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Children going
to bed hungry
and not
attending
school
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Having to choose
between
buying food and
paying bills
-andThe stress of
having to provide
for extended
family
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One person
working to
support an entire
household
-andLimited
employment
opportunities
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High cost of
freight and
airfare
Limited variety
of foods in the
stores
High cost of
doing business
in the North
Poor Quality
Produce and
Meats
Overcrowded
Households
Hard to plan
ahead to buy
cheaper food
from the South
when you’re
living day-to-day
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High Cost of
Living in the
North
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Many foods being
sold years past their
best before dates
and the other
extreme…
Stores throwing
away food that
is still edible
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What members said about NNC:
Nutrition North
Canada (NNC) is
not working well
for Northerners
…it subsidizes Retailers, not Northerners.
…there’s no way to know how much of the
savings are being passed on to us.
…we have no choice but to shop from
expensive stores in our communities
because very few southern retailers
participate in the program.
…the airlines now treat food as general
cargo and there are no quality control
measures to ensure that food is
transported properly.
…the only Northerners who can truly
benefit from NNC are the few who can
still order from southern retailers.
feedingmyfamily.org
Nutrition North
Canada (NNC) is
not working well
for Northerners
Northerners are concerned
about recent changes in program
objectives on the NNC website:
In 2010 – “The Government of Canada is
committed to providing Northerners
with healthy food choices at affordable
prices.”
Current – “The Government of Canada
is committed to helping Canadians make
healthy food choices.”
www.nunatsiaqonline.ca
October 21, 2012 advertisement
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There is an
immediate need
for Food Banks
in Northern
Communities
What members said about
food banks:
…setting up and operating food
banks is difficult in smaller
communities.
…it’s hard to find a proper and
available location for a food bank.
…there aren’t enough community
members willing to volunteer to
operate a food bank.
feedingmyfamily.org
Turning thoughts into action
Our Group’s Current Objectives:
1.Encourage Northerners to empower themselves to create
independence from within the people at the grass roots level.
2.Unify people across the North to share one voice.
3.Encourage Government policy-makers and retailers to find better
ways to lower the cost of food (NNC is not doing enough).
4.Encourage new food suppliers to operate in the North in order to
increase competition and lower prices.
5.Encourage improvements in food quality through better inventory
control, such as:
•
•
•
Removing inedible and rotting food from store shelves
Proper food shipping and handling
Reducing transit time for perishable foods
6.Encourage establishment of more Food Banks.
7.Work with Government and other NGOs to
improve the overall quality of life for Northerners.
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“Inuit have long lived to survive – it is in our blood
to find food and help others when someone goes
hungry. Inuit all over the north have understood the
word “hunger” from the past to this day. It is
handled through patience, through acceptance, and
through innovations. Hunger was fought by our
ancestors, and we can fight it again today using
different techniques.”
Northerners are coming together as one to have ONE VOICE.
Qujanamiik - Thank You