Renewed funding for northern food program welcomed by Inuit non-profits

Author Abigail Turner

Local non-profits are welcoming renewed federal investments to the Inuit Child First Initiative (ICFI), saying the funding will help ease food insecurity in northern communities.

The federal government has committed $115 million to extend the (ICFI) program until March 31, 2027.

The program was widely known for providing monthly grocery vouchers to families. However, the vouchers were discontinued last April, after Indigenous Services Canada said they were introduced as a temporary relief measure.

More than three-quarters of Inuit children in Inuit Nunangat experienced food insecurity in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. 

Data from Qajuqturvik, a community food centre in Iqaluit, shows that demand for food support increased after the vouchers ended. 

It served a record 639 meals in a single day, up from about 200 per day when the vouchers ended.

In a joint news release, Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre and Right to Food called the renewed funding a positive step forward.

“Assuming the funding can be used once again towards grocery vouchers, this support will bring some relief while Canada and Inuit partners continue to co-develop an Inuit-led, long-term approach that advances food security, self-determination, and community well-being,” said Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre and Right To Food in a joint press release. 

Right to Food is a national organization that advocates for food as a human right.

The organization added that food insecurity in Inuit is systemic and requires long-term government commitments in areas such as income security, infrastructure, housing, and Indigenous self-determination. 

Short-term announcements must evolve into permanent, rights-based policy solutions, it said.

The funding announcement is part of a larger $229 million commitment by Indigenous Services Canada, for tuberculosis prevention, food security, and child and family supports in Inuit communities.

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  • Abigail Turner is an award-nominated journalist who began her career in broadcast journalism. She worked primarily as a video journalist in Winnipeg before moving to Vancouver. Turner has taken on various roles in her career, including anchor and producer, while working in major outlets, including Global News and CTV News. She recently became the Special Projects Reporter at Future of Good.

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