Northern Food Systems Research Group
Led by Dr. Andrew Spring, the Northern Food Systems Research Group (NFSRG) is composed of researchers, students, and community practitioners engaged in Participatory Action Research in the Northwest Territories. The NFSRG works collaboratively with partners on community-defined and led projects that build towards more resilient Northern food systems.
Key community partners include: Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, Délı̨nę Got’ine Government, Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve, Sambaa K’e First Nation, City of Yellowknife, Ecology North
Core Working Themes
- Sustainable food systems
- Climate change adaptation
- Youth engagement
- Community-led monitoring and stewardship
- Waste management
Community Reports
Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation Youth On-The-Land Camps
Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation Youth On-The-Land Camps (Word, text only)
On-the-land camps provide a space for youth to learn about changes happening in their homelands and connect vital Indigenous teaching peactices and ways of knowing with scientific tools in traditional languages.
Agriculture In The Boreal Forest
Agriculture In The Boreal Forest (Word, text only)
As climate change impacts the northern landscape and expands agricultural opportunities, it is important to consider how land use changes will impact soil carbon and what it will mean for communities in the North.
Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation Firebreak Farms
Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation Firebreak Farms (Word, text only)
Laurier researchers are working with Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) and territorial fire managers to establish a Firebreak Farm that supports the community’s food system and adapt to climate change.
Food Hubs In The Northwest Territories
Food Hubs in the Northwest Territories (Word, text only)
Food hubs connect those who grow, harvest, and process food directly with people. While food hubs can look different, they make a significant impact on food system sustainability and resilience in the North.
Sambaa K'e First Nation Community Garden
Sambaa K'e First Nation Community Garden (Word, text only)
The Sambaa K'e First Nation is working with Laurier researchers to integrate agroecology—ecological approaches to farming—into their planning for food system resilience. Community gardens are important sites for agroecological food growing, education, research, and engagement.
The Future Of Northern Agriculture
The Future of Northern Agriculture (Word, text only)
Agroecology offers a model for agriculture in the North that centers the relationship between humans and the environment, prioritizes long-term land stewardship over short-term yields, works within the unique boreal landscape, and supports Indigenous sovereignty.
Grants
Northern Agriculture Futures (NAF) is a multi-year project led by the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation in partnership with Dr. Andrew Spring. The research team works with communities in the NWT to envision and realize a future for agricultural development that meets the needs of communities without negatively impacting the health of the lands or waters on which traditional food system depend.
The project recognizes that agricultural opportunities in the North cannot be met by transplanting southern approaches. Instead, agricultural development must be community-defined, locally adapted, culturally relevant, and integrated into existing food landscapes.
Research projects span across environmental monitoring, developing and piloting agricultural best management practices, policy development and adaptation, community and regional governance, and knowledge sharing across the NWT.
Regions and Key Partners
NAF projects are currently concentrated in the South Slave and Dehcho Regions.
Key Partners:
- Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation
- Hamlet of Enterprise
- Sambaa K’e First Nation
- Territorial Agri-Food Association
- Government of Northwest Territories
- University of Guelph (Department of Integrative Biology)
Funding Acknowledgement
This research is supported by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada through their Climate Change Preparedness in the North Program.
Launched in 2020, the Community Capacity for Climate Change and Food Security (C4FS) research project works closely with six NWT communities to identify, develop, and apply community-defined actions that strengthen their capacity to create resilient and secure community food systems in the face of climate change. The project’s four focus areas are: Traditional Knowledge, community governance, youth empowerment, and gender.
Regions and Key Partners
The Research Team at Laurier are working in the:
- South Slave Region with the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation in Kakisa
- Sahtú Region with the Délįnę Got’įnę Government in Délįnę
- North Slave Region with the Tłįcho Government in Wekweètì and Whatì.
- Inuvialuit Settlement Region in Tuktoyaktuk and Paulatuk
The project’s co-principal investigators are Dr. Andrew Spring (Wilfrid Laurier University), Dr. Kelly Skinner (University of Waterloo), and Dr. Sonia Wesche (University of Ottawa)
Funding Acknowledgement
This research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Northern Water Futures (NWF) is a major multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional project that works collaboratively with knowledge producers, mobilizers, and users from communities; regional and territorial governments; non-governmental organizations; and universities to understand and address the challenges that climate change poses for water security in the NWT.
Regions and Key Partners
The project is led by Dr. Jennifer Baltzer (WLU) with collaborators at several institutions. NWF projects led by the Northern Food Systems Research Group are focused in the Sahtú and South Slave Regions but cover much of the Northwest Territories.
Key Partners:
- Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation
- Délįnę Got’įnę Government and the Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve
Funding Acknowledgement
The Northern Water Futures projects is funded by the Global Water Futures program.