# data[].attributes.headline
Availability- Doing away with the "Modern" food system of globalization and high import rates

# data[].attributes.subject
Availability- Doing away with the "Modern" food system of globalization and high import rates

# data[].attributes.body
While doing readings for the pre-departure, I read about the classic trade-off between short term profits, and environmental sustainability. A lot of literature has been focused on this concept especially when food production is concerned. After my time in the Yukon, I have been able to see first-hand the effects this trade off has had on the food system.

Somewhat surprisingly (especially in comparison to many Ontario farms), the actual practices of the farms we visited were very sustainable and environmental effects were a priority to be considered. The downfall in sustainability and also availability of food in Yukon’s food system comes from the transportation industries involvement in the food system.

Availability of food is, in some ways, the number one step toward food security. Without availability first, there can not be accessibility, adequacy or sustainability. The modern globalized food system is not reliable enough or sustainable enough for an isolated region such as the Yukon. With only one highway connecting it to the industrial southern part of Canada, stability wavers. Almost every individual we spoke with referenced the washing out of the Alaska highway in 2012 as a reason for their support in the local food economy.

The closure of the highway for a few days meant no new stock could reach the shelves of grocery stores. Shelves emptied quite quickly as families panicked to stock up for the days coming. This served as a wake up call for a lot of people, but according to one of the local farmers, Otto of Kokopelli Farms, it was not enough for people to truly make a 180 turn in their buying habits. He even went as far as to say “I wish the Alaska highway would shut down for a week,” as he believes a longer shutdown would force people to see another side of the food system in the Yukon. With a drop of locally produced food falling from 97% to 3%, the Yukon’s reliance on imported goods is quite significant. Additionally, even though imported food may be available for the most part, it is not reliable enough to surely state security of availability of food in the Yukon Territory.

A shift from unreliable availability due to globalized food systems to a locally produced and reliance on traditional foods is needed. There is something to say about importing goods as a way to meet cultural food adequacy and food sovereignty, but that is best left for a separate in-depth discussion.

A full shift from imported to local food is a huge step that is needed toward more secure availability of food. Right now, availability remains shaky due to high rates of importing. If farming was to take off as a profession in the Yukon, secure availability of food would become widespread and the local economy would flourish as jobs become available, and money circulates within the territory.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sustainability - The Yukon's Sustainable Resilience!

# data[].attributes.subject
Sustainability - The Yukon's Sustainable Resilience!

# data[].attributes.body
Yukon-ers have a reputation as tough, hard working, and resilient. Generally speaking, I found this to be true, especially when food and farming is involved. In the north, the land and environment is considered extremely valuable, and people have a deep connection with it. Whether this is due to the relationship and history alongside Inuit and First Nations, or a respect due to the work many farmers and local gardeners put in, or some other cause, the connection to land is very prominent nonetheless. As a cause of this respect, sustainable practices and local community are prioritized for many.

For example, Elemental Farms is an organic farm adapting to the climate change in cold temperatures while TH Farms seeks to raise labour needs to sustain the economy and provide jobs while also implementing innovative ideas to increase efficiency. Another example would be the amazing commitment and achievement of Suzanne to feed herself and her entire family only local food for a year!

Local individuals and locally owned businesses, such as the Independent in downtown Whitehorse, are always thinking of sustainability and possible environmental effects of their practices. The Yukon’s small population coupled with the attitude of many producers makes a fully local and sustainable food system achievable. Whereas in large populations, foraging and running 100% small farms would not work, as  resources would quickly deplete and thing could turn sour quite quickly. For that reason, (although unsustainable) a more commercialized and globalized system has been put in place in these areas. Unfortunately, a globalized food system is sometimes what seems easiest and simplest, and it has made it’s way to the Yukon despite it being unnecessary.

The Yukon once produced 97% of it’s own food locally, but that has since decreased to 3%. Clearly, the commercialization of imported food is causing trouble in sustainability for the Yukon food system. It creates an unhealthy dependency on transport. As we heard from just about every speaker, the only highway connecting the Yukon to it’s food distributors is unreliable and in a two day washout, caused panic as grocery store shelves emptied. Many described this event as a wake-up call to the importance of locally produced food and set to work. It has not yet caught on to be a fully independent system, but there are dedicated individuals working to bring back local food dependency nonetheless. Although there is a long way to go, the Yukon is making a transition from a dependent globalized and commercial food system to a sustainable, local one.
Our visit to the Independent was a great example of this transition as we were still able to find out of season commodities that were imported from other countries, but we were also able to find locally made snacks and produce!

# data[].attributes.body
On May 16, the Anti-Poverty coalition visited us at Yukon College to talk about the work they do in helping the community. Essentially, the Anti-Poverty Coalition does a lot of work to help those in need, especially in providing a welcoming and sensitive platform where at-risk individuals can safely share their stories and realize past trauma they may not have been previously aware of, all within a safe space. They also provide resources in moving forward for those individuals. During their visit to the Yukon College, a woman named Kerry came forward and told her story to our group.

Her story touched many hearts personally and also gave us a first-person perspective into food insecurity specifically pertaining to the adequacy part of the 3 A's framework. For myself, I found adequacy hard to interweave within the other two. Availability and accessibility were pretty self-explanatory and easy to understand how they connect with each other. Throwing in adequacy would shake things up and make connections harder to draw and a little more far fetched. However, after listening to Kerry, I was able to untangle the mess of confusion and really get a better grasp on what exactly was meant by food adequacy.

The part that stuck out the most about Kerry’s story was her being unaware of her and her children's own food insecurity. After having a place to speak and connect with others at the anti-poverty coalition, she was able to realize that her past trauma was an issue, and work on moving forward by sharing her story and making her voice heard. Her story showed just how much adequacy was tied to the other pieces of the framework (availability and accessibility). Food might make it to the table each night but without adequacy of nutrients, food security can not be achieved. So often, food is the last thing on people’s minds, as Kerry showed us. It is so easy to forget about the importance of a nutritious diet on a regular basis, especially in situations of low-income, violence, or other environmental stressors surround an individual. In this way, the connection of adequacy in the three A framework is very apparent.

# data[].attributes.body
On May 21, after our visit to TH Farms with Derek, we visited Otto at his farm and got a peek at his root cellar (woah cool!). We learned all about the challenges farmers face but more importantly, we got Otto's personal perspective on the local food system. At one point he said "I wish the Alaska highway would shut down for a week". This quite obviously piqued our interest! Why would a local farmer wish that on his/her/their community?
Otto believes that the previous shutdown of the only road into the city (Alaska highway) was too short to cause a widespread, impactful change in the food system. Otto sourced a lack of knowledge and education as a cause of the community's reliance on imported foods. Programs like Kids on the Farm provide education and instill a passion for farming in them at a young age to continue and help support their local area.

# data[].attributes.body
Every person has their own story of personal struggles and growth through those struggles. The power of listening is vital in creating a platform for communal growth and development around socio-economic issues. (I.e poverty, discrimination, drug abuse, violence, food insecurity, etc)
The anti-poverty coalition in the Yukon creates an accessible platform to talk about these issues with one another to tackle tough issues through discussion and subsequent action.
It is important to have local platforms in addition to global NGOs to provide personal support and education such as that provided by the NISJ.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxvH1-iHWTh/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0Q79knw71/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link