Dehcho leaders say pandemic intensifies food insecurity, but inspires solutions – CBC

Difficulty accessing goods has leaders rethinking local, sustainable supply chains, like farms and hunting

Jun 01, 2020

As countries across the globe grapple with stressed food supply chains due to COVID-19-related shut-downs, some communities in the Northwest Territories are seeing potential for more local food production.

Communities like Fort Simpson, N.W.T., are re-imagining how they source valuable goods. Local leaders argue new found stressors, which build upon previous concerns over availability and high costs, make a case for growing and harvesting locally sourced foods.

Well before the pandemic hit, Fort Simpson faced high costs and the limited availability of goods.

While the community is connected to the Mackenzie Valley Highway, by ice road in the winter and ferry service in the summer, it encounters disruptions in the fall and spring when the state of the Liard River isolates it from roadways. During these periods, food and other products must be flown over the river.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/covid-19-food-security-fort-simpson-1.5590893