About 12 per cent of Canadians wake up each morning unsure of whether or not they are going to be able to get enough to eat that day. Many of these individuals live in the North; for example, 72 per cent of Nunavut Inuit households experience moderate or severe food insecurity. The problem is reaching crisis levels, and the evidence shows that it is getting worse. While there is no single cause, Canadians have the tools they need  to tackle hunger in our own backyard.

A new report, Aboriginal Food Security in Northern Canada: An Assessment of the State of Knowledge was, released March 27 by the Council of Canadian Academies. The Science Media Centre of Canada hosted a webinar to hear from the report’s authors:

  • Describe the situation faced by Aboriginals in Northern Canada today. What are their unique challenges?

  • What are some best practices and possible solutions?

  • What opportunities do we have to find a way forward?

Speakers:

Harriet Kuhnlein, Professor Emerita of Human Nutrition, McGill University. Kuhnlein was Chair of the Expert Panel that produced the report, and will speak about its main findings.

Murray Humphries, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment, McGill University. Dr. Humphries was a member of the expert panel.

David Natcher, Director, Indigenous Land Management Institute, University of Saskatchewan.  Dr. Natcher was a member of the expert panel.

You can listen to the webinar below and download the presentation here.