Canadian Government outlines support for Indigenous agriculture initiatives

Jun 18, 2021 | 1:22 PM

OTTAWA, ONT. — In line with the month of June dedicated to recognizing the achievements, history and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, the federal government is working to build a stronger and more inclusive agriculture sector. The goal is to advance meaningful relationships with Indigenous Peoples and reduces barriers for under-represented groups.

On Friday (June 18), Marc Miller, the Minister of Indigenous Services, announced over $4 million worth of investments for 16 projects that are designed to support Indigenous food system initiatives, provide equitable access to healthy food, and increase participation of under-represented groups in the agriculture and agri-food sector.

Recipients include:

4-C Farms Limited Partnership, which received up to $954,000 to reintroduce grain farming as a viable business and career path and to finalize a business plan so that Cowessess First Nation can expand its farming operation to 2,000 acres;.
Xaxli’p First Nation, which received up to $88,000 to prepare the community to engage in a number of agricultural activities by conducting a market study, a land capability assessment and an irrigation water source assessment; and
Bigstone Cree Nation, which will receive up to $131,000 to identify and plan agribusiness opportunities to participate and succeed in Alberta’s growing agribusiness sector.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, 15,765 people in Canada’s agricultural population identified as Indigenous (2.7% of the agricultural population). Indigenous agricultural operators, the majority of which are located in Western Canada, represented 5,160 (1.9%) of the 270,720 agricultural operators in Canada.

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Troy Stuart, the Land Manager for Bigstone Cree Nation, was anxious to outline their plans.

“Bigstone Cree Nation is proud to accept the funding and support from Indigenous Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (IAFI) which will assist the Nation in moving forward on the plans to initiate a bison operation, greenhouses and sustainable crops. We look forward to working with Agriculture and Agri Food Canada on various aspects of the agricultural sector which will incorporate our culture, traditional land use and knowledge in the success of our vision. We thank the Minister and everyone that joined this morning to announce and showcase as more Nations move closer toward self sustenance and true reconciliation.”

The Indigenous Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (IAFSI) is a five-year (2018-2023) joint initiative with Indigenous Services Canada funded in part through the Strategic Partnerships Initiative (SPI), which fosters federal coordination to boost indigenous participation in economic growth.

IAFSI funding supports Indigenous producers, communities, and organizations who are ready to launch agriculture and food systems projects and others who want to build their capacity to participate in the sector. Applications for IAFSI funding will be accepted until July 31, 2021, for projects to be completed on or before March 31, 2023.

by Dori Modney with files from Gov't of Canada