National Inuit organization seeking $1.6B for school food program

A national Inuit organization is calling for about $1.6billion in federal funding over 15 years to set up aco-ordinated school food program in the North.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami released a report last week, developedthrough the Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group, advocating fora breakfast and lunch program in 75 schools across Inuit Nunangat,or Inuit homeland in Canada. Inuit Nunangat encompasses 51communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern Quebecand northern Labrador, where the cost of living is high and foodinsecurity and poverty are prevalent.

"Ensuring that Inuit children and youth have what they need toeat and sustain themselves not only enhances their educationalexperience, it also ensures their mental wellness, their connectionto Inuit culture and their overall security," said Kiana Foster, asenior policy adviser with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

"By feeding our children and youth, we are ensuring that theygrow up to be healthy adults. It's a true investment in our community and our people."

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami said the program should include long-termfunding in human resources and infrastructure, focus on healthy andlocally sourced food options, be able to adapt to regional andcommunity needs, and be grounded in Inuit culture.

The report details projected costs of the program from 2023 to2038, taking into account anticipated school enrolment andattendance rates, as well as the cost of food, labour, training,operations and infrastructure. It states infrastructure will cost$102.4 million over the first three years, which includes buildingnew or retrofitting existing kitchens in schools, while operatingcosts will be roughly $1.55 billion over 15 years.

Foster said food programming in various stages is currently beingoffered in some schools in Inuit Nunangat but they are largely runby teachers and principals. Many rely on donations, which she saidis not sustainable.

'Children should have access to food'

Jason Rochon helped run the school food bank and breakfastprogram at Joamie Ilinniarvik School in Iqaluit, where he worked asa student support worker.

"Kids were helping each other fill their backpacks and tellingeach other what to grab or if there were new items," he said. "Itwas really, really nice."

When schools in Iqaluit were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,Rochon said volunteers began packing paper bags with breakfast itemsthat included milk, cereal, cheese, yogurt and fruit, anddistributed them to residents throughout the city. He said theywould sometimes serve up to 600 people a day.

"We definitely see the need," he said. "Any chance we get tofeed children, we should make sure that we do that."

Rochon said he was consulted about Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami'sproposed school food program and supports it.

He said finding adequate funding for food programming can bechallenging as well as accessing fresh fruits, vegetables and dairyin the North where costs are high. He added it can be hard forschool staff to find the time to run food programs alongsideaddressing academic and other student needs.

"Children who are well fed and have lots of rest, they learn,and you know you can't teach a child if they're hungry," he said."We live in a country where children should have access to food.No kid should be going hungry and we all have a part to play."

Funded needed in Quebec

In Nunavik in northern Quebec, the regional board of health andsocial services said breakfast programs have been run in all schoolsfor many years. In the past two years, there has been a focus ondeveloping lunch and snack programs.

This year, the board said it provided more than $600,000 tosupport school food programs and has seen an increase in requestsfor hot lunch programs in the upcoming school year. It said it aimsto secure long-term, stable funding for school food programs.

A 2007-08 Inuit Health Survey found 69 per cent of Inuithouseholds in Nunavut were food insecure, 46 per cent in Nunatsiavutin northern Labrador, and 43 per cent in the Inuvialuit SettlementRegion in N. W. T and Yukon.

A 2014 survey on Inuit food security in Nunatsiavut found morethan 59 per cent of households were food insecure, while a 2017survey on Inuit health in Nunavik found up to 78 per cent ofrespondents 16 years and older were food insecure.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Canadian Press News Fellowship and Meta, which is not involved in the editorial process.