The food security project aims to connect people in northern Ontario with more food grown in the region. (Hilary Duff/CBC)
A research initiative spanning three years, aimed at enhancing access to local food in Northern Ontario, has secured nearly $360,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Under the leadership of Collège Boréal, the project brings together various food security entities, including the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), the Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council (GSFPC), and the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy.
The primary objective of the project is to nurture a sustainable local food ecosystem by establishing connections among producers, processors, and buyers across the region. Northern Ontario faces distinct challenges in its supply chain, differing from those encountered in southern Ontario, which has been extensively studied.
Sabine Bouchard, Manager of Research and Innovation Boréal at the college, expressed the hope that the project would yield recommendations to address barriers hindering the incorporation of local products into various establishments, including supermarkets.
An educational component is also integrated into the project, aiming to raise awareness among the workforce about food security and counter negative perceptions. This includes dispelling notions such as mistrust of larger organizations and wholesalers and the belief that local food is prohibitively expensive.
The initial year of the project will concentrate on identifying supply chain issues, with subsequent years focusing on addressing these challenges through workshops, networking events, and the formulation of recommendations. The project is slated to continue until 2026.
