Food for thought: Northerners asked to inform national food policy

A northern policy group wantsYukoners' voices to beloud and clear as the federalgovernmentconsults Canadianson food policy.

One Liberal election promise during the 2015campaign was the creation of a national food policy.

A federal survey available online until July 27promises to "set a long-term vision for the health, environmental, social, and economic goals related to food, while identifying actions we can take in the short-term."

But the government needs to hear from Northerners, says a Whitehorse advocate.

"We're vulnerable up here! So being able to share those concerns, as well to share the opportunities and strengths and solutions Northerners have, is really important," saysKatelynFriendship, co-director of Arctic Institute of Community-Based Research.

"In the Northespecially in the Yukon food costs are extremely high. We're dependent on external food sources to come up the highway."

On Thursday evening, Friendshipwas asking people to share their views online, handing people a tablet at Whitehorse's Fireweed Community Market.

Food security

The four themes for a national policy are:

• Improving access to affordable food
• Improving health and food safety
• Conserving soil, water and air
• Growing more high-quality food

But Yukon's agriculture branch estimates that only about two per cent of food eaten in the territory is locally grown. The department says country food like wild game and fish accounts for some unknown percentage as well.

One 2012Statistics Canada studyestimated17 per centof Yukoners are food-insecure.

Since that time, food bank use has risen in Yukon.

"We can assume it's probably more than that now," Friendship says.

The Arctic Institute of Community-Based Research is working with the Yukon Anti-Poverty coalition and a national group called Food Secure Canada to drum up interest in the federal government'sconsultation.

The groups are planning a round-table and public discussion on food security in Whitehorse for July 31.