Background Content

Food Insecurity

The Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy

July 21, 2021

Inuit Tapariit Kanatami – The Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy (INFSS) identifies drivers of food insecurity that are common to all regions of Inuit Nunangat. It sets out the coordinated actions required to address the interrelated drivers of food insecurity, such as:

  • Poverty
  • high living costs
  • climate change, and
  • contaminants.

The INFSS calls for actions to strengthen Inuit control over the governance of our food system through national policies, programs, and initiatives that provide direct supports for the local and regional Inuit-driven initiatives that are can make a difference. Furthermore, the Strategy identifies ways to support the development of an Inuit Nunangat food system that more closely reflects the realities and priorities of Inuit communities.
The high prevalence of food insecurity among Inuit is a complex national public health crisis that can only be remedied through coordinated actions undertaken by multiple partners. The drivers of food insecurity are interconnected. Addressing them requires innovative actions and investments that can only be coordinated through a national strategy.

The INFSS serves three main functions:

  1. To create a common national understanding of the prevalence of food insecurity among Inuit and its impacts on health and well-being.
  2. To facilitate a common national understanding of the drivers of food insecurity among Inuit and the policy solutions that can help ensure all Inuit families are able to meet their needs.
  3. To coordinate measurable actions by governments, Inuit, and stakeholders in the Inuit Nunangat food system to improve food security among our people.

The INFSS allows Inuit to work together using a strengths-based approach that builds on existing food security measures. Improving food security is a shared priority across Inuit Nunangat, and the INFSS identifies solutions that can be tailored to the unique circumstances of each Inuit Nunangat region.
https://www.itk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ITK_Food-Security-Strategy-Report_English_PDF-Version.pdf