Research summary
Traditional food systems are critical to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Yet few Indigenous families have the chance to participate in harvesting these foods in their local environments. As well, close to half of Indigenous communities in Canada experience food insecurity, and face limited access to traditional foods.
Dr. Hannah Neufeld, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health, Wellbeing and Food Environments, believes that a comprehensive understanding of the structural determinants of dietary practices and food systems is needed, particularly among urban Indigenous communities. She and her research team are exploring the complexity of urban Indigenous food environments and concepts of traditional food systems and practices. Their goal is to develop intergenerational programming for land-based learning around food.