The Norths Food Crisis

Comparative analysis of food prices in Northern and Southern Canada

Aletta Brandle, U3, International Development Studies Professor George Wenzel

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].

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

METHOD: In this study, two households one from Toronto, Ontario containing three family members and the other from Igloolik, Nunavut, containing six members are used to examine the effects of food prices on the typical weekly budget in these two communities. The average household composition and budget were calculated from survey results listed on Statistic Canada website. ANALYSIS 1: In the first case study a standard healthy food basket was used to represent the average purchases of both the Toronto and the Igloolik household in a week. Each basket contains sixty different foods that meet most nutrient requirements and food serving recommendations in Canadas Food Guide [6].

SUMMARY WHAT IS BEING DONE WHAT IS BEING DONE?

Over the last couple years, food prices in Nunavut have gained a lot of attention. The actions of the Canadian government and protests by northern activists have begun to finally create change in the right direction. Feeding My Family Feeding My Family is a social media group that has been working to bring awareness about the high food costs in Northern Canada. The group has inspired Nunavummiut across the territory to make their lives better by encouraging the government to address the issues, encouraging more food banks, unifying people across the North, educating people on how help themselves, and lastly improving quality of food in the North [7].

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

FACTORS CAUSING FOOD INSECURITY IN THE NORTH

There are a variety of complex and interrelated stresses that underlie the persistent issue of food insecurity in the North. (1) Lower incomes of Inuit people, compared with nonaboriginal populations, are significant when one considers the higher costs of living in the North. (2) Households in the North typically consist of five or more people, thus increasing the difficult of stretching household income to provide for all household members. [3] (3) Food found in grocery stores must be shipped up from Southern Canada. This means that groceries cost significantly more than in most Canadian cities

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

Weekly Expenditure on Groceries

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

THE ALTERNATIVE: country foods

In Nunavut one alternative to buying the expensive products shipped up from Southern Canada is to go hunting on the land. The harvest of seal, beluga, walrus, fish, geese, caribou, and other animals are essential in Nunavut because they decrease dependence on expensive, nutritionally inferior storebought foods of poor quality, and are a core component of Inuit culture and identity [4]. almost all household engage in some form of hunting in order to provide what is known as country food [5]. It has been found that an average of 3,269 grams of edible food per person per week can be produced by a household that relies on country food. This is more than enough food to provide for daily nutrition needs of every family member [5].

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%