Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat experience the highest documented prevalence of food insecurity of any Indigenous people in a developed country; up to 70.5% of Inuit aged 15 and over in Inuit Nunangat live in food-insecure households.
The current way our food system functions across Inuit Nunangat directly contributes to food insecurity. Government policies, programs and investments have an incredible impact on food choices, food availability and food prices in our communities.
Nutrition North Canada (NNC) has not been effective in improving food security in Inuit Nunangat. Incremental adjustments to the program in its current form are insufficient to address the structural drivers of food insecurity in the region. The Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy outlines a comprehensive, Inuit-led vision grounded in self-determination, food sovereignty, and systems-level reform. However, previous evaluations and research — including the horizontal evaluation of NNC finalized in October 2025 by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada — indicate that while some NNC components contribute to addressing aspects of Inuit food security, the program overall remains fragmented, inflexible, and not fully aligned with Inuit priorities as articulated in the Strategy.
The program must be replaced by an evidence-based food security initiative co-developed with Inuit so that it responds to the unique situation of our communities. An Inuit-Led Framework to Replace Nutrition North Canada Program offers Inuit-led recommendations on how to transform the federal program and make it more responsive to the needs of Inuit communities.
