Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change: Producing Potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) and Bush Beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for Improved Food Security and Resilience in a Canadian Subarctic First Nations Community

Christine D. Barbeau, Maren Oelbermann, Jim D. Karagatzides and Leonard J. S. Tsuji
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Christine D. Barbeau: Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Maren Oelbermann: Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Jim D. Karagatzides: School of Environmental Studies, Georgian College, Barrie, ON L4M 3X9, Canada
Leonard J. S. Tsuji: Health Studies Program, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Aboriginal people in Canada experience disproportionately high rates of diet-related illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes. Food insecurity has been identified as a contributing factor to these illnesses along with a loss of traditional lifestyle. Current food systems within northern subarctic and arctic regions of Canada rely heavily on imported foods that are expensive (when available), and are environmentally unsustainable. A warming subarctic and arctic climate present challenges, but also offers the opportunity for local agricultural production that can increase food security and promote a more sustainable food system. In this study the feasibility of sustainably growing potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) utilizing agroforestry practices to enhance food security in remote subarctic communities is explored through a case study in Fort Albany First Nation in northern Ontario, Canada. Potato crops were grown over a two-year period and rotated into plots that had been planted with green bush beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Results showed that potatoes and bush beans could be grown successfully in the subarctic without the use of greenhouses with yields comparable to more conventional high-input agricultural methods. In subarctic Canada, sustainable local food production can help to promote social capital, healthier lifestyles, and food security.

Keywords: food security; aboriginal; sustainable food production; arctic; subarctic; agroforestry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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