Projects funded through Phase 2 of the Food Security Research Grant

March 26, 2026 — Ottawa, ON, Traditional Unceded Algonquin Territory — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Nutrition North Canada's Food Security Research Grant is funding nine Indigenous-led projects that focus on food security and food access inequality in isolated northern communities. This research addresses key questions and challenges about food access inequality, the dynamics of existing federal food access programs and food insecurity among Indigenous Peoples living in isolated communities. 

Phase 2 of the grant will run from 2025 to 2028 and is investing over $2 million to support research to help guide policy interventions that seek to reduce food insecurity. The research will focus on the following research areas: 

• alternative food subsidy program models to support equitable store-bought food access, nutrition, food security, and food sovereignty in isolated northern communities 
• impact of supply chain logistics and ownership on food quality, availability, and price 
• harvesting, informal economies, and pathway to improving access to traditional and store-bought food 

Funded projects 

Foxe Basin Kivalliq North Sapujiyiit Guardians of the Sea Society

Project: Inuit Voices on Food Security: Evaluating Nutrition North Canada and Piloting Community-Led Hunting Supports

Description: This project looks at how Inuit families in Chesterfield Inlet and Coral Harbour access store‑bought and country food, and where gaps and barriers exist. Inuit Guardians will work with Elders, hunters, youth, and families to share experiences and ideas through interviews and workshops. The project will also pilot a community‑led soup kitchen using harvested food and develop recommendations to improve food security, self‑reliance, and fairness in programs like Nutrition North Canada.

Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment & Training Services (KKETS)

Project: Understanding Food Insecurity Response Options in Remote Northern First Nation Communities

Description: This project supports First Nations‑led solutions to food insecurity in remote Matawa First Nations. Building on earlier research from Phase 1, it will study and support three community initiatives: a community‑owned butcher shop, a greenhouse project, and traditional subsistence activities. The research will identify what helps or hinders these initiatives and share lessons on how to implement culturally relevant food security solutions.

Niksik

Project: Comparative Analysis of Food Security Models and Metrics in Nunavut

Description: This project examines whether online food retail can make food more affordable in Nunavut communities. It focuses on Arctic Fresh, a social enterprise that delivers subsidized food directly to households. By analyzing costs, savings, wages, and community experiences, the project will assess how well online and local food models work and provide evidence to improve food subsidy policies.

Pirurvik Preschool Society: Inuuqatigiitsiarniq

Project: Growing Food, Growing Children – Strengthening Arctic Food Security through Early Childhood Education and Community Training

Description: This Inuit‑led project explores how growing food locally—through a greenhouse linked to a preschool—can improve food security in Pond Inlet. It combines early childhood education, family involvement, and community training to support nutrition, well-being, and Inuit Knowledge Sharing. The research will show how local food production can complement Nutrition North Canada and strengthen food sovereignty in northern communities.

Sambaa K'e First Nation

Project: From the Land, Garden, and Store: Dene-led Pathways for Food Security in Sambaa K'e

Description: This Dene‑led project strengthens food security in Sambaa K'e First Nation through hands‑on learning and research. One part focuses on intergenerational cooking classes that teach how to prepare traditional, garden, and healthy store‑bought foods. The second part examines how to improve the community‑owned store by addressing supply chains, freight costs, and Nutrition North Canada subsidies, with the goal of reducing costs and supporting long‑term food sovereignty.

Southeast Resource Development Council (SERDC)

Project: Community Food Systems Assessment and Strategy Development in Remote SERDC Communities (partially funded)

Description: This project will assess food systems in Little Grand Rapids, Manitoba, by mapping both Indigenous and retail food sources. Through interviews and community gatherings, the project will identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities to improve food security. The community will use this information to develop a shared vision and priorities for building a stronger, more sustainable local food system.

University of Toronto/Toronto Metropolitan University

Project: Community-Informed Modeling of Interventions to the Nutrition North Canada Subsidy Program

Description: This project will test potential changes to the Nutrition North Canada subsidy using computer modeling, without affecting current benefits. Working with four northern communities, researchers will model different subsidy options, including lessons from Greenland's food system. The results will help Indigenous leaders understand how different subsidy approaches could improve affordability in both monopoly and non‑monopoly retail settings.

University of Victoria

Project: Feeding resilience: understanding how households navigate food access in the face of instability in Nunavut and Nunavik

Description: This project studies how households in Nunavut and Nunavik manage food access during times of instability. Using data from community food programs, retail spending, and income supports, it will examine how factors like seasonality, inflation, and service disruptions affect food choices. The project brings together researchers and community partners to identify how food programs, subsidies, and social assistance can work better together.

University of Waterloo

Project: Evaluation of Community Harvesting and Distribution Pathways and their Impacts on Programs

Description: This project evaluates how community harvesting programs affect food affordability, diets, health, and sharing in Inuvialuit communities. Local community researchers and harvesters will collect data and test a one‑year pilot harvesting program. The findings will help improve harvester support programs and strengthen community food security using both data and local knowledge.