Who’s at the table: an exploration of community-based food security initiatives and structures in a north-central Canadian context

Abstract

This article examines food security initiatives and actors specific to a rural, remote and northern Canadian community, a context found throughout the world. Using a ‘snowball technique’ to identify experts and practitioners in local food security, we employed qualitative engagement methods to map initiatives, actors and gaps in regional food security. We identified concerns around the ability of the region to be food secure; we also found a lack of cross-sector communication and planning, challenges with a small group of committed actors facing isolation and burnout and a need to more broadly engage the community and political entities with limited awareness of rural and remote cultures and concerns. Facilitating better collaborations across multiple food security-related activities while honouring current and supporting current initiatives could enable those who know their communities, to address food insecurity collectively and collaboratively in a rural, remote and northern context.