Atlantic Canada's Indigenous communities face 'striking' rate of food insecurity, study finds

The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, conducted in 11 communities across Atlantic Canada, reveals about 60% of households are harvesting traditional foods. The study points to high rates of food insecurity, difficulties accessing traditional foods and water contaminated with trace metals and pharmaceuticals as being prevalent among Atlantic Canada's Indigenous communities. The Health Canada-funded study, which is being implemented region by region across the country, began in 2008 with communities in B.C., and has since collected data from Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta and now the Atlantic region. Among the findings for Atlantic Canada:

• More than 30% of households were food insecure, and 9% severely food insecure;
• Aluminum, iron and manganese were found at some of the homes tested during the study;
• Low levels of pharmaceuticals were found in 10 of the 11 communities tested, including traces of pain medication, mood stabilizers, anti-convulsants, antibiotics and diabetes medication; and
• Traditional foods, including seafood, game, birds, plants, berries and roots, were found to be safe and healthy to eat in these communities, but often times barriers to obtaining that food posed a bigger problem. Barriers ranged from not having a person available who knows how to hunt or fish, lack of time and industrial and economic barriers such as logging, mining or hydro development in the area.