We are heading into the Food unit of this course (I am pretty excited) and we will talk a lot about world food shortages. However, we often forget that people right here in Canada need food too. In Northern Canada this problem is higher than in other places but it still happens right here in Barrie. Take a look at this article and think:
1) What can we do to help the aboriginals in the North?
2) Why are the numbers so high?
3) Why have the numbers remained so high?
4) How can this happen in a developed nation? Why is Canada's rate the highest?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/inuit-go-hungry-more-than-any-other-indigenous-group-report-1.2588107
This is my weekly post,
ReplyDeleteI found this article kind of alarming because Canada is not experiencing a large food shortage. As the article stated, Canada has enough resources and capacity to improve food security in the North but we’ve known about the problem since 2010 and still haven’t made a change. There obviously is not enough awareness of this problem; I highly doubt most Canadians realize that fellow Canadians and people even in their own town or city are not getting enough food. On the Inuit Tuttarvingat website, they stated that access to adequate nutritional food Is denied to many Inuit families across Canada due to low income families, changing dietary habits, high cost of food, increasing costs of harvesting and hunting such as gas, and lack of awareness of healthy eating habits. The biggest problem is how much food up north costs; it is much higher than food in southern Canada. “For one week for a family of four, the Northern Food Basket in Kugaaruk costs $327, double that of Edmonton.” I think the only solution to this problem is the government needs to look at what options we have in making food cost less for families in northern Canada. We need to realize that not everyone can afford to spend $20,000 on groceries a year, most can’t afford anywhere close to that.
http://www.naho.ca/inuit/health-determinants/food-security/
Great post Anneli! I really agree that awareness is a main issue when it comes to problems with the Aboriginal people. The fact of the matter is, the Aboriginals are a key part of Canadian culture, but their mistreatment is huge yet ignored. I remember when we were learning about the Aboriginals in history class and most of the time we just avoided that some are still suffering. We seriously need to inform people about this in order to find solutions including the decrease of grocery prices in the North.
DeleteI also agree with you, Anneli! I think what's most troubling about a world issue like this is that we actually do have enough resources to come to a resolution yet we aren't taking any sort of course of action in order to get there.
DeleteI agree completely. I am always disappointed to see more problems with Indigenous People caused by us as 'settlers'. Makes me feel guilty for all the trouble we have caused them. Can we at least make their food affordable? jees
DeleteI sadly was not surprised when I read this article. I mean yes, it's sad but I think the general public feels kind of helpless in the matter. I think it would be a cool idea to set up a sponsorship program for the north, we have them for developing countries, but I think Canadians would appreciate the option to support other Canadians. I do agree though Anneli that it would be an easier option for the government to subsidize food transportation to the north to help lower the food prices.
DeleteJust last October my mom was considering working up north and moving our family there, but after talking to a friend she realized she wouldn't be able to support our large family with food that was so expensive. I'm very grateful to live where i do, i just feel bad that those who live up north are kind of stuck living in those situations and have no way out of it. They pretty much have to suffer as they do now until the rest of us do something about it. You made some excellent points and i think we would all agree something needs to change here.
DeleteI defiantly agree! that's an outrageous amount of money! I believe with more public awareness we can make some sort of difference!
ReplyDeleteThis is my weekly post:
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty upsetting to see that so many Canadians go hungry when there's so much food to go around. Walking through the aisles stacked with food in the grocery stores in Barrie, it's hard to imagine that anyone in our country could be malnourished and underfed. And yet, even when we have the numbers presented right to our faces, many of the people in power refuse to acknowledge the obvious issue. When UN right-to-food enjoy Olivier de Schutter visited Canada in 2012 to investigate food equality, his mission was criticized by many for being a waste of time, because he was focusing on a developed country. The Immigration Minister Jason Kenney claimed that by spending money on investigating one of the most developed countries in the world, de Schutter was discrediting the United Nations. People like Kenney seem to think that Canada doesn't have any food security problems, because we're such a wealthy nation. The very prominent issue of income inequality goes straight over their heads, as they tend to think "I'm rich, my country's rich, so everyone else who lives here must be rich too!" Access to proper nutrition should never be a problem for anyone in a place as wealthy as Canada, and it's very important that we work towards making it available to all.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/05/16/un_food_envoy_blasts_inequality_poverty_in_canada.html