Aboriginal people in Canada experience disproportionately high rates of diet-related illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes. Food insecurity has been identified as a contributing factor to these illnesses along with a loss of traditional lifestyle. Current food systems within northern subarctic and arctic regions of Canada rely heavily on imported foods that are expensive (when available), and are environmentally unsustainable. A warming subarctic and arctic climate present challenges, but also offers the opportunity for local agricultural production that can increase food security and promote a more sustainable food system. In this study the feasibility of sustainably growing potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) utilizing agroforestry practices to enhance food security in remote subarctic communities is explored through a case study in Fort Albany First Nation in northern Ontario, Canada. Potato crops were grown over a two-year period and rotated into plots that had been planted with green bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Results showed that potatoes and bush beans could be grown successfully in the subarctic without the use of greenhouses with yields comparable to more conventional high-input agricultural methods. In subarctic Canada, sustainable local food production can help to promote social capital, healthier lifestyles, and food security.

Addressing food security with local and sustainable food production is a key requirement for supporting a globally sustainable agricultural system. Food insecurity is prevalent in Indigenous communities in Canada, especially in rural and remote regions of northern (subarctic and arctic) Canada. Further, climate change has disproportionately impacted subarctic and arctic regions worldwide − surface air temperatures are now more favourable for agricultural activities − offering the potential for local food production under ambient conditions. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) intercrops grown over a two-year period in two sites (treed, windbreak-lined with native willow, Salix. spp.; and non-treed, or open) in the subarctic Indigenous community of Fort Albany First Nation, Ontario, Canada. Intercrops grown in the windbreak-lined site produced significantly greater (p < 0.05) yields and biomass than the open site. An analysis of soil chemistry (pH, P, K, Mg, NO₃, NH₄ and total N) showed that with some local amendments such as offal and bone meal, both the windbreak-lined and open sites can support continued agricultural use. This study informs Indigenous communities across subarctic regions of the world that climate change not only brings challenges, but also opportunities, such as potentially sustainable local food production.

There is an overall consensus that arctic regions will experience climate change earlier and to a greater extent than lower latitude regions. Aboriginal people in Canada's northern regions are especially vulnerable to climate variability in addition to experiencing disproportionately high rates of diet-related illnesses such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The majority of these diet-related diseases can be attributed to food insecurity and a loss of traditional lifestyles. Furthermore, current food systems within these northern regions are reliant on imported foods that are resource expensive and are ecologically and socially unsustainable. A warming arctic climate offers the opportunity for local agricultural production that can promote ecologically and culturally sustainable means to increase food security. To date, there has been little investigation into the potential for sustainable food production in arctic and sub-arctic regions. In this study, the feasibility of using locally grown produce as a means to sustainably enhance food security in sub-arctic Aboriginal communities is explored through a case study in the community of Fort Albany First Nations located in Ontario, Canada. Solanum tuberosum L. (potatoes) and Phaseolus vulgaris L. (green beans) were grown over a two year period to determine if potato and bean crops could be grown in a sustainable manner for community consumption. Results from two growing seasons showed that potatoes and beans could be grown successfully in the sub-arctic especially with regards to warming air temperatures. Sustainable local food production offers flexible and innovative opportunities for communities to promote social capital, healthy lifestyles, adaptation and resilience, while helping to enhance the benefits that a warmer climate can offer.

Increasing the Adaptive Capacity of Indigenous People to Environmental Change: The Potential Use of an Innovative, Web-Based, Collaborative-Geomatics Informatics Tool to Reduce the Degree of Exposure of First Nations Cree to Hazardous Travel Routes | InTechOpen, Published on: 2016-09-08. Authors: Christine D. Barbeau, Donald Cowan and Leonard J.S. Tsuji