Country food sharing networks, household structure, and implications for understanding food insecurity in Arctic Canada

Collings, Peter; Marten, Meredith G.; Pearce, Tristan; Young, Alyson G.

doi:10.1080/03670244.2015.1072812

Cited by 55 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…One type of social support network (country food sharing) and its relationship to food security are examined in Ready (2016). Collings et al (2016) use a similar approach, and recent research in Alaska has also focused on sharing networks and cooperative ties (BurnSilver et al, 2016). However, collection of complete network data may be prohibitively costly or too time-consuming for many studies because of sampling requirements.…”

Section: Discussion: Food Security In a Mixed Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in the Assessment of Inuit Food Security

Ready¹

2016

ARCTIC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the past few years, food security survey modules have been widely used to assess Inuit food access. However, these modules were not originally designed for use in mixed economies where both purchased and country (hunted, fished, and gathered) foods contribute to peoples' diets. These methods have been extensively tested and modified for use in Alaska, but research conducted in the Canadian Arctic has not been rigorously evaluated. This paper examines the validity of a modified version of the commonly used USDA Household Food Security Survey Module for assessing the food security of Inuit households in Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik. The data come from 110 household surveys that were collected as part of an extended ethnographic project in the community. Rasch modeling of the food security module results indicates that, even with modifications that make reference to country food, the module assesses only the dimension of food security related to material wealth. Household income is a contributing factor for country food access, because it is important for access to harvesting equipment; however, other factors related to country food harvesting may affect the reliability of some food security module questions. Consequently, studies that assess Inuit food access using only standard survey modules may misrepresent how Inuit experience food insecurity, which is a serious concern given the current food crisis among Inuit in Canada. Assessment tools that provide reliable and valid assessments of country food access, specifically including traditional knowledge and social support networks, need to be developed.RÉSUMÉ. Au cours des dernières années, les modules de questionnaires portant sur la sécurité alimentaire ont beaucoup été utilisés dans le but d'évaluer l'accès aux aliments par les Inuits. Cependant, ces modules s'appliquent mal aux économies mixtes caractérisées par des régimes alimentaires composés de nourriture achetée et de nourriture traditionnelle (produits de la chasse, de la pêche et de la cueillette). Ces méthodes ont été rigoureusement mises à l'épreuve et modifiées afin d'être employées en Alaska. Toutefois, les recherches effectuées dans l'Arctique canadien n'ont pas été évaluées minutieusement. Le présent article examine l'utilité d'une version modifiée du Household Food Security Survey Module développé par l'USDA, un type de questionnaire couramment utilisé, afin d'évaluer la sécurité alimentaire des ménages inuits à Kangiqsujuaq, au Nunavik. Les données analysées émanent de 110 ménages sondés dans le cadre d'une étude ethnographique prolongée. Les résultats montrent que, malgré certaines modifications portant spécifiquement sur la nourriture traditionnelle, le module ne mesure que la dimension de la sécurité alimentaire liée à la richesse matérielle. Cette dernière facilite l'accès à la nourriture traditionnelle en favorisant l'accès aux équipements de chasse. Toutefois, d'autres facteurs liés à l'accès à la nourriture traditionnelle peuvent influer sur la fiabilité de certaines questions du module. En co...

show abstract

Section: Discussion: Food Security In a Mixed Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in the Assessment of Inuit Food Security

Ready¹

2016

ARCTIC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The pattern of declining local food consumption, increasing consumption of nutrient-poor nontraditional foods, substantial decreases in health, changing food-sharing networks, and increases in diet-related disease documented in Pacific Islands are similar to that observed elsewhere, particularly among indigenous populations (e.g., Gracey, 2000, Lowitt, 2014, Scelza et al 2014, Ghosh-Jerath et al 2015, Laberge Gaudin et al 2015, Mertens et al 2015, Collings et al 2016). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Social–ecological change and implications for food security in Funafuti, Tuvalu

McCubbin¹,

Pearce²,

Ford³

et al. 2017

E&S

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. This article examines food security in Funafuti, Tuvalu in the context of recent social-ecological changes. We consider both social and ecological processes in order to provide a holistic account of food security. An analysis of data collected through a fixed-question survey and freelists with 50 households and semistructured interviews with 25 key informants reveal that access to food of sufficient nutritional and cultural value is the primary driver affecting food security, more so than general food availability. Ten percent of the households surveyed experienced a shortage of food in the previous month, and 52% ate less desirable imported foods, which tended to be nutrient poor because they could not access preferred local foods. Factors and processes affecting access to local foods include: availability of and access to land; declining involvement in local food production; the convenience of imported foods; unreliable interisland shipping; and climate and environmental changes that have negatively affected food security and are expected to continue to do so.

show abstract

“…However, we found that landings in high harvest years tend to be spread evenly throughout July, with short gaps (i.e., 2-3 days), suggesting that harvesters are limited in their ability to make up for lost days by increasing effort on other days. Stresses affecting food security, as well as societal changes to language and land-based skills, are growing concerns across the Arctic and have been examined in numerous studies (Condon et al 1995;Harder and Wenzel 2012;Collings et al 2016). The annual beluga harvest provides a nutritionally superior alternative to store-bought products (Hoover et al 2016) and provides an opportunity to pass on traditional hunting and land-based skills to younger generations (Pearce et al 2011).…”

Section: Socio-economic Impact On the Huntmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oceanographic, ecological, and socio-economic impacts of an unusual summer storm in the Mackenzie Estuary

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With increased warming and open water due to climate change, the frequency and intensity of storm surges is expected to increase. Although studies have shown that strong storms can negatively impact Arctic ecosystems, the impact of storms on Arctic marine mammals is relatively unknown. In July 2016, an unusually large storm occurred in the Mackenzie Delta while instrumented seabed moorings equipped with hydrophones and oceanographic sensors were in place to study environmental drivers of beluga habitat use during their summer aggregation. The storm lasted up to 88 h, with maximum wind speeds reaching 60 km/h; historical wind data from Tuktoyaktuk revealed a storm of similar duration has not occurred in July in at least the past 28 years. This provided a unique opportunity to study the impacts of large storms on oceanographic conditions, beluga habitat use, and the traditional subsistence hunt that occurs annually in the delta. The storm resulted in increased water levels and localized flooding as well as a significant drop in water temperature (∼10 °C) and caused belugas to leave the area for 5 days. Although belugas returned after the storm ended, the subsistence hunt was halted resulting in the lowest beluga harvest between 1978 and 2017.

show abstract

Country food sharing networks, household structure, and implications for understanding food insecurity in Arctic Canada

Cited by 55 publications

References 41 publications

Challenges in the Assessment of Inuit Food Security

Challenges in the Assessment of Inuit Food Security

Social–ecological change and implications for food security in Funafuti, Tuvalu

Oceanographic, ecological, and socio-economic impacts of an unusual summer storm in the Mackenzie Estuary

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Country food sharing networks, household structure, and implications for understanding food insecurity in Arctic Canada

Cited by 55 publications

References 41 publications

Challenges in the Assessment of Inuit Food Security

Challenges in the Assessment of Inuit Food Security

Social&#8211;ecological change and implications for food security in Funafuti, Tuvalu

Oceanographic, ecological, and socio-economic impacts of an unusual summer storm in the Mackenzie Estuary

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Social–ecological change and implications for food security in Funafuti, Tuvalu