Polar Knowledge Canada supports new research on country foods with $3.8M in targeted research support

Rates of food insecurity in northern Canada are significantly higher than in the rest of the country. Food security and food sovereignty continue to be shared priorities for the Government of Canada and Northern communities.

Country foods - locally harvested plants, animals and fish - are central to northern food systems and support nutrition, culture and community well‑being. In contrast to market foods, which are frequently carried over great distances, country foods are a component of local food systems and are based on Indigenous knowledge, local ecosystems, and seasonal harvesting.

Through the Country Foods and Food Security funding call, Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is providing $3.8 million in funding to support 13 research projects across the Canadian Arctic that increase understanding of the health, availability and sustainability of country foods. These projects are guided by local priorities and Indigenous knowledge systems.

The results of this research will help Northerners make informed decisions to improve their access to country foods and will help support food security and food sovereignty in the North.

This funding is aligned with Science and Technology Framework (2026-2029), which emphasizes an integrated One Health approach to understanding human, animal and ecosystem health. It addresses an identified research and funding gap while complementing existing programs that support food security and sovereignty initiatives in northern Canada. These initiatives will enhance knowledge of country foods and promote evidence-based decision-making for healthier, more resilient northern communities by fusing scientific research with Indigenous knowledge systems.

The projects that have been selected as recipients of the Country Food Sovereignty and Security contribution call are:

Recipient	Project Title	Location
ArctiConnexion	Steensby Country Foods Program.	Nunavut
Carleton University	Strengthening Kitikmeot Food Sovereignty and One Health initiative through Inter-Community Country Food Trade and Fishery Development.	Nunavut
Institute of Circumpolar Health Research	Applying Dene Traditional Knowledge & Western Science to Berry Country Food Systems for Accessible, Sustainable, and Culturally Appropriate Northern Food Security.	Northwest Territories
Inuvialuit Regional Corporation	Examining how Reindeer Grazing, Seasonal Environmental Conditions, and Climate-Related Stressors Influence Vegetation Regeneration and Long-Term Grazing Sustainability Within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.	Northwest Territories
Makivvik Corporation	Toward a Community-Led Sustainable Fisheries and Ecosystem Monitoring Program in Ungava Bay and Hudson Strait, Phase II.	Quebec (Nunavik)
Nihtat Gwich'in Council	A three-year Gwich’in Country Food Sustainability and Youth Land-Based Research Project.	Northwest Territories
Porcupine Caribou Management Board	Shifting Access to the Porcupine Caribou Herd: Causes and Implications for Food Security and Community Wellbeing.	Yukon and Northwest Territories
Sha Shäw Corporation	Sustainable Fish Use and Community Food Security in Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Traditional Territory.	Yukon
Tlicho Government	Tłı̨chǫ Dǫtaàts’eedı Country Foods, Traditional Medicine, and Cultural Knowledge Program.	Northwest Territories
University of Calgary	Supporting Country Food Access in the Changing North with Hydroponics.	Yukon
University of Waterloo	Sharing Cultural, Nutritional, and Harvesting Knowledge of Marine Country Foods from Inuvialuit and Scientific Perspectives in Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk, NWT.	Northwest Territories
Wek’èezhì̀ı Renewable Resources Board	Caribou is Country Food: Indigenous-Led Monitoring of Bathurst Caribou Health, Availability, and Food Security Across the Herd’s Range.	Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation	The Dinjik Project: Lèe dinjik nakhwah hah'aa vadzaih kwaa ji'? / Will the Moose Feed Us If There Are No Caribou?	Yukon