Nunavut to get food security coalition

The Nunavut government plans to establish a food security coalition that will include Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and other Inuit organizations.

Territorial nutritionist Jennifer Wakegijig said her department is trying to improve people's knowledge about store-bought food.

Starting in September, stores across Nunavut will be promoting 10 core recipes that have been developed in Nunavut, by Nunavimmiut.

"They'll be promoting the recipes one month at a time and putting the ingredients on sale," she said.

Wakegijig said a preliminary meeting of the food security coalition will take place in June.

She told the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food about the new coalition last week in Ottawa.

Olivier de Schutter was touring the country to investigate food security issues. He visited First Nations communities in southern Canada but did not travel north. He wraps up his 10-day visit to Canada today.

Wakegijig said she talked to him about the cultural transition from a country food diet to store-bought foods and how it has become a big factor to food insecurity for Inuit.

"People don't have a lot of cultural knowledge that's passed down from generation to generation about the foods that are available in stores," she said.

Access to cultural food is one factor of food security de Schutter has examined on his visit.

Willie Hyndman, who organizes a country food market in Iqaluit, said he struggles to keep up with the demand for country food.

"The households in Iqaluit are just craving it. And it seems no matter how much the hunters show up with, it all sells out," said Hyndman.