EXAMINING FOOD PRESERVATION PARTICIPATION WITHIN INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS ON CANADA'S WEST COAST
Date
2023-01-24
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0001-6346-8741
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Doctoral
Abstract
Research and policy attention in Canada's food-insecure rural and remote areas has focused
on the country’s north, with less known about the challenges that affect remote southern
coastal regions. Similarly, programs to improve local food provisioning among adults and
youth tend to prioritize food procurement and nutritional education over food preservation,
despite the importance of food preservation competencies for maintaining year-round access
to seasonal food from Indigenous and local food systems (ILFSs). Research is needed to
better understand how diverse residents of coastal communities can benefit from establishing
food preservation practices. This dissertation examines food preservation participation in the
Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region on Canada's west coast, using a qualitative research
design informed by community based participatory research and Indigenous research
practices and principles. Participatory workshops were used to deliver food preservation
training. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews, written evaluations of the
workshops, and document analysis. The findings are reported across three interconnected
papers. The first paper presents a joint conceptualization of ILFSs that acknowledges the
existence of shared food practices between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in
localized food systems. This contrasts with dominant conceptualizations that consider
Indigenous food systems and local food systems separately, regardless of contexts. The
second paper uses a social practice framework to show that programs that support food
preservation competency building, materials provisioning, and continuous participation allow
people to make meaning out of such engagement, which is critical for establishing food
preservation practice in a community. The third paper focuses on the role of youth in ILFSs,
showing that young people need to be involved in co-designing food preservation programs if
such initiatives are to meet their needs and interests. These findings demonstrate that the
value of jointly conceptualizing ILFS lies in identifying shared food practices in regions
where Indigenous and settler populations co-exist, which research and policy can prioritize to
improve food security. They also show the power of a social practice framework to support
participant-focused assessment of local food preservation programs. Additionally, the
findings show that food preservation programs can help youth build food knowledge to
improve their food security and support their communities' food sovereignty
Description
Keywords
Food preservation, Indigenous and Local Food Systems, West Coast, Canada.
Citation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
School of Environment and Sustainability
Program
Environment and Sustainability