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INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
The economic and social well-being of Canada will benefit the most when people and communities across all provinces and territories are strong and selfsufficient. As the Government of Canada seeks to increase its presence in the Arctic, in an effort to create stronger and more self-sufficient communities, it must ensure that the support provided meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own need, [1]. At present, Canadas north faces intrinsic problems that don not allow communities to be resilient and selfreliant. Household food insecurity, due to inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial constraint, is a significant social and public health problem found in northern communities. Food insecurity is most prevalent in Nunavut, where rates of household food insecurity are as high as 36.6% [2].
Table 1: Comparison between the percentage of household spending on food to feed the average family in Toronto and Igloolik
Toronto Median total income per family per week Average number of family members Cost of food for average family for one week Portion of weekly income spent on food $1,410.50 3 $126.72 9%
Igloolik $829.25
Feeding My Family
6 $28.87 3.5%
Nutrition North Nutrition North Canada is a retail subsidy program organized by the Canadian government in April, 2011 that focuses on increasing access to perishable healthy food in isolated northern communities. The program subsidizes a variety of perishable foods and country foods that are commercially-processed in the North as well as direct or personal orders (Nutrition North Canada). The subsidy is provided directly to the retailers, suppliers, and country food processors that apply and meet the programs requirements [8].
Toronto
9% Weekly Expenditur e on Groceries 91%
Igloolik
49% 51%
SUMMARY
ANALYSIS 2: In the second analysis, the Toronto households remained consistent with the results presented in the first comparison. However, the Igloolik household was modified to see the effects of relying on self-harvested country foods on their weekly budget. Country foods consist of harvested seal, beluga, walrus, fish, geese, caribou, and other animals. Why should the people who already deal with the burden of high housing costs and lower than national average income levels have to bear the impact of extremely high food prices? Food prices in Nunavut can be two to three and even four times higher than the food prices found in southern Canadian cities. The effect of the extraordinary food prices leaves many Nunavummiut struggling to survive. The combination of all these stresses makes it difficult for Nunavummiut to lead a healthy and food secure lifestyle. But, as we have seen, a possible solution to decreasing costs of groceries is for households to rely more on country foods, which are high in nutritional value and less costly to acquire.
HEADING
Igloolik = $829.25
Table 2: Comparison between average family in Toronto and Igloolik, with Igloolik family consuming country food rather than store bought food
Toronto Median total income per family per week Average number of family members Cost of food for average family for one week Portion of weekly income spent on food = $1,410.50
3 $126.72 9%
6 $612.33 49%
Feeding My Family
Toronto
9% Weekly Expenditur e on Food Remaning Income 91% Weekly Expenditure on Food Remaining Income
Igloolik
3.5%
REFERENCES
[1] http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100034658/1100100034662 [2] http://nutritionalsciences.lamp.utoronto.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2013/07/Household-Food-Insecurity-in-Canada-2011.pdf [3] http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil108a-eng.htm. [4] Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society, 2011 [5] Wenzel, G., J. Dolan and C. Brown. (2010). A (raw) diachronic look at food security in the qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut. Unpublished paper presented at 17th Inuit Studies Meeting. [6] http://www.nutritionnorthcanada.gc.ca/eng/1369313792863/1369313809684 and http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=5bc0ce7e2b322410VgnV CM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=7209ce7e2b322410VgnVCM10000071d60f 89RCRD&vgnextfmt=default [7] http://www.feedingmyfamily.org/ [8] http://www.nutritionnorthcanada.gc.ca/eng/1351088285438/1351088295799
96.5%