This study surveyed community members from three First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario to understand local food behaviors and their relationship to health, well-being, and food security. The results showed that participating in local foods like fishing, hunting, and gathering was associated with better physical and mental health as well as higher life satisfaction and social connections. However, store-bought foods accounted for over half of participants' diets. Factors found to support local food behaviors included traditional food knowledge, valuing local and cultural foods, strong connections to the land and culture, and not perceiving foods as contaminated. The study concludes that promoting local food sovereignty through education, land stewardship, and food infrastructure could strengthen these communities' health, well-

1. Understanding Traditional Food
Behaviour and Food Security In Rural
First Nation Communities:
Implications for Food Policy
Connie H. Nelson
Mirella L. Stroink
PURPOSE
To better understand
the context of local
food behaviour from
the perspective of
First Nation
community members.

2. CHN4
Data Sources
Survey Findings from
three First Nation
communities in
Northwestern Ontario
METHODS
Study 1: Ginoogaming
20 respondents from a gardening workshop
14 women, 5 men, mean age 32
Survey assessed: physical health, life satisfaction,
foods eaten, food knowledge, food values
(healthiness, price, convenience, localness), and
social capital

3. METHODS
Study 2: Aroland
24-35 respondents
14 men and 7 women, mean age 44
Survey assessed: eating patterns (fish, blueberries,
wild rice, grouse), food insecurity, perceived
contamination of the foods, health, life satisfaction,
connectedness to land and nature, social support,
purpose, nutrition and exercise.
METHODS
Study 3: Aroland and Eabametoong
18 respondents from each community
Aroland: 14 men, 3 women, mean age 44;
Eabametoong: 12 men, 4 women, mean age 32
Survey was the same as study 2 except that moose
eating replaced grouse.

4. Research Question 1:
What are the patterns of association among local food behaviour and
various indicators of health and well-being?
1. Local Food Behaviour and Health
Study 1: Ginoogaming
Fishing and Hunting
Life Satisfaction .49*
Social Capital .50*
Study 2: Aroland
Fish Eating Fish Eating Fish Eating
Spring Summer Fall
Life Satisfaction .49* .48*
Sense of Purpose .72** .67**

5. 1. Local Food Behaviour and Health
Study 3: Aroland and Eabametoong
Eabametoong: proportion of local diet as meat was
correlated with lower food insecurity.
Aroland: eating fish, moose, and blueberries in
several seasons were associated with better
nutrition, health, weight, and exercise, and with
lower food insecurity.
1. Local Food Behaviour and Health
The benefits of participation in local food extends
beyond diet, exercise, and physical health to
include a sense of inner purpose, life
satisfaction, and social capital.

6. Research Question 2:
To what degree is local food behaviour occurring in the studied
communities?
2. Levels of Local Food Behaviour
Study 1: Ginoogaming
Most frequent sources of food: (1) grocery store, (2)
convenience store, (3) fishing & hunting
Study 2: Aroland
For 58% of the sample, local food is less than 20%
of diet
Study 3: Aroland and Eabametoong
No significant differences between communities on
local food consumption

7. 2. Levels of Local Food Behaviour
Fish, moose, and berries are important to the local
diet with variation by season. However, store-
bought food seems to account for at least half of
the diet in these communities.
Research Question 3:
What are the factors that limit and support local food behaviour?

8. 3. Factors that Limit and Support Local
Food Behaviour
Study 1: Ginoogaming – knowledge and values
Fishing and hunting were associated with
knowledge of fishing/hunting and with valuing
cheap, tasty, easy, and local / culturally relevant
foods.
3. Factors that Limit and Support Local
Food Behaviour
Study 2: Aroland – perceived contamination
Percent frequency of response:
Not at all A little Somewhat Quite Very much
affected affected affected affected affected
Fish 19.4 19.4 36.1 19.4 5.6
Blueberries 40 12 20 16 12
Grouse 36 36 28 0 0
Wild rice 40 20 40 0 0

9. 3. Factors that Limit and Support Local
Food Behaviour
Study 2: Aroland – connection to land & culture
Fish-winter Fish-spring Fish-summer Fish-Fall
Connection to .47* .37 .46* .52*
Nature
Connection to .22 .23 .65** .49
Land
Connection to .39 .29 .63** .51
land via food
Aboriginal .25 .66** .44 .24
participation
3. Factors that Limit and Support Local
Food Behaviour
Consumption of local food is associated with
having the required knowledge, with valuing
easy, tasty, local and culturally relevant food,
with not perceiving the food to be contaminated,
and with feeling connected to nature, traditional
lands, and culture.

10. CONCLUSION
Participation in local food brings multiple
benefits.
Despite the dominance of the market-based food
system, local food behaviour continues to occur.
Knowledge, values, perceived contamination,
and connection to land affect local food
behaviour.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
These results suggest policy
developments that could facilitate
local food behaviour.

11. POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Education: Support place-based, lifelong, inter-
generational learning systems that foster
knowledge of local food activities and build
supportive food values. Strengthen experiential
learning opportunities that reveal the role of food
in connecting to land, nature, and culture as well
as the resulting impacts on health.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Natural Resource Management: Support
ecosystem-based community management of
natural resources on traditional lands.
Recognize that the perception of contamination
affects local food behaviour; demonstrate that
the protection of local food sources is a guiding
meta-priority in all industrial activities.

12. SUPPORTIVE POLICY SHIFTS
Build stream-lined food inspection and processing
facilities adapted to remote communities so that local
food (including meat) can be traded. These should
support livestock, small-scale food growing, and forest
food sources.
By nurturing local and regional trade through established
grocery stores, ensure that reasonably priced, healthy,
and high quality food is available at local stores.
Develop policies that mitigate the impact of climate
change on food production, as the north is particularly
susceptible.
Thank you!