Plea for Help: Food Insecurity and Rural Development in Northern Canada

Written by: Raena Balsdon, Valeria Cabrera, Laurelle Naa Addy, Becca Deschamps, Angele Farn and James Xin

As International Development students, we study complex global issues many of which are located primarily in Africa and South-East Asia, creating an assumption that a country like Canada lacks equally pressing issues. Recently, we have been able to learn about rural development and the many problems that rurality imposes on communities. In the documentary Harvesting Hope, Dr. Shirley Thompson explores the continuous battle of food security which poses a threat to many First Nations residing in regions throughout Northern Manitoba, a location that clearly depicts the effects of rurality.

Food insecurity is the inability to meet the sufficient dietary levels due to various factors (including economic, accessibility, social factors), all in which act as barriers that impede the overall wellness of individuals and threatens their lifestyle. According to the documentary, First Nations of Canada, specifically those in Northern Manitoba, are suffering from a crippling amount of food insecurity within their communities. Up to 75% of First Nations residing in Northern areas of Canada suffer from food insecurity (Thompson et al, 2011).

Due to the rurality of their location, these communities are located in regions that do not have road access throughout the year, meaning that air and/or rail transportation is the only way for food to reach these communities. As a result, food is overpriced by monopolistic grocery stores due to the expense and frequency of shipping. The prices of necessary food items have are so high that they have affected indigenous communities and their lives to the extent that 50-80% of their income goes towards food (Thompson et al, 2011), forming a ‘poverty trap’. In our class we have learned that there are four material features of rurality, and the case displayed in the documentary it indicates that these communities are lacking in all categories. With a combination of their lack of natural capital, forms of labour employment, isolation of their location, and the importance of their social factors (their social behaviour and ways of living being quite contrasting to ours), there is no doubt that the situation they are in has been caused by rurality. This shows how much stress and difficulty is placed on communities in rural development as they struggle to live on to the next day and since we have not been exposed to such conditions being in a very urban environment, we think that this was really able to put rurality into context for us.

Harvesting Hope highlights the government’s policies (PDF) regarding the treatment of Indigenous peoples that have created unsustainable conditions such as forcing communities to eat store-bought food instead of using their own methods of cultivation. What was really shocking to us was how obvious it was that the government was actively trying to set these communities up for failure through policies that are ruining their lives, and not putting a focus on rural development projects. It is angers us that these serious injustices are still occurring in a modern society that has seen a long history of repression towards minorities, and the moral violation behind such a view.

After being introduced to matters that are occurring within the very borders of our country, it made us reflect on our own location and all of the privileges that come with it. We take for granted reasonably priced, healthy meals as we are accustomed to this type of living, and are unaware of the challenges Indigenous peoples are facing with their survival when living in rural locations. This shows how university programs such as International Development that focus on helping the global community and places abroad should also be analyzing local affairs to gain the perspective that everyone needs help in some way. With that being said, we must ask the readers a question that has been on our minds constantly: How should we focus our efforts when there are both issues occurring internationally as well as domestically within Canada, and should we be attempting to take care of our own rural development before reaching out to countries abroad?

From left to right:Raena Balsdon, Valeria Cabrera, Laurelle Naa Addy, Becca Deschamps, Angele Farn and James Xin (photo)

Photo credits: Harvesting Hope by Dr. Shirley Thompson

Contact us - we'd love to hear from you!

Raena Balsdon | Val Cabrera | Laurelle Addy| Becca Deschamps | Angele Farn | James Xin

Check Out These Links

The Documentary

Harvesting Hope Documentary

Informative Web sites

Northern & Remote Food

In the News

Northern Food Prices

New campaign aims to shed light on the high cost of food in Canada’s north

Ways to Help

Make Government Services Equal For All Canadians

First Nations Nutrition Program

References

Thompson, S., PhD (Researcher). (2011). Harvesting Hope [Documentary Film]. Canada.