The Arctic: Physical and Human Dimensions in a Changing Ecosystem
Food security is a major concern in the North, a household is considered food secure when its occupants
do not live in hunger or fear of starvation.
This may lead to health and social issues.
Comparing provinces and territories, the percentages are nearly double when comparing food insecurity.
Why is this the case?
–High transportation costs
–high food costs
–food community
–community remoteness
A change in the intensity of the seasons can have a drastic affect on the population in terms of hunting.
Market food vs. Traditional foods
–growing dependency on southern foods
–expensive and causes many health problems
Northern communities are exposed to much more pollution as compared to the rest of Canada
Many northern communities reside on the coast and with melting ice, they cannot go out and hunt as
much as they would have liked. Erosion is also a problem, with their beaches shrinking, the result is that
people have to move further inland.
The end result is that a lot of government funding has gone into restructuring entire communities. They
are trying to move the coastal communities to more stable grounds such as bedrock. They are also trying
to build more houses to support the growing population.
Indigenous knowledge
–knowledge that locals have gained over generations of living on the same land.
–Knowledge such as technologies, know-how, practices and beliefs