Grant: Food Security and Climate Change in the Canadian North

Country food significant, dietary/nutritional, health, cultural, and economic benefits to the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. The availability of country food is important for their food security. Climate change is the most significant health equity challenges of the century and is already impacting access to country foods and contributing hazards and risks on ice. While the potential impacts of climate change on northern food security has been highlighted for several years, limited research has sought to explicitly link environmental change with nutrition implications for Inuit. Working with the community of Qikiqtarjuaq, this project aims to co-construct innovative methodologies and adaptation strategies to address the impact of climate change on food security in the Canadian North. The main research questions are: O1. How can local oceanographic and marine ecosystem and diet/health data be integrated to address key questions regarding climate change and food security? O2. What strategies can be used to proactively respond to climate change to support food security at different levels? This two-year project will deliver feasibility adaptation plans for the community of Qikiqtarjuaq and models and frameworks that can be used by a follow-up Research Team to translate the knowledge to other Inuit regions and communities.