To sell or not to sell: Country food markets and Inuit identity in Nunavut

The Retail Food Sector and Indigenous Peoples in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review

Indigenous Peoples in high-income countries experience higher burdens of food insecurity, obesity, and diet-related health conditions compared to national averages. The objective of this systematic scoping review is to synthesize information from the published literature on the methods/approaches, findings, and scope for research and interventions on the retail food sector servicing Indigenous Peoples in high-income countries. A structured literature search in two major international databases yielded 139 relevant peer-reviewed articles from nine countries. Most research was conducted in Oceania and North America, and in rural and remote regions. Several convergent issues were identified across global regions including limited grocery store availability/access, heightened exposure to unhealthy food environments, inadequate market food supplies (i.e., high prices, limited availability, and poor quality), and common underlying structural factors including socio-economic inequality and colonialism. A list of actions that can modify the nature and structure of retailing systems to enhance the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthful foods is identified. While continuing to (re)align research with community priorities, international collaboration may foster enhanced opportunities to strengthen the evidence base for policy and practice and contribute to the amelioration of diet quality and health at the population level.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia in locally harvested clams in Iqaluit, Nunavut

High prevalences of Cryptosporidium and Giardia were recently found in enteric illness patients in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, Canada, with a foodborne, waterborne or animal source of parasites suspected. Clams (Mya truncata) are a commonly consumed, culturally important and nutritious country food in Iqaluit; however, shellfish may concentrate protozoan pathogens from contaminated waters. The goal of this work was to investigate clams as a potential source of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections in residents in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The objectives were to estimate the prevalence and genetically characterize Cryptosporidium and Giardia in locally harvested clams. Clams (n = 404) were collected from Iqaluit harvesters in September 2016. Haemolymph (n = 328) and digestive gland (n = 390) samples were screened for Cryptosporidium and Giardia via PCR, and amplified products were further processed for sequence analyses for definitive confirmation. Giardia DNA was found in haemolymph from 2 clams, while Cryptosporidium was not detected. The two Giardia sequences were identified as zoonotic Giardia enterica assemblage B. The overall prevalence of Giardia in clams near Iqaluit was low (0.6%) compared with other studies in southern Canada and elsewhere. The presence of Giardia DNA in clams suggests human or animal faecal contamination of coastal habitat around Iqaluit in shellfish harvesting waters. Results from this study are intended to inform public health practice and planning in Inuit Nunangat.

The Impacts of Climate and Social Changes on Cloudberry (Bakeapple) Picking: a Case Study from Southeastern Labrador

The traditional subsistence activities of Indigenous communities in Canada's subarctic are being affected by the impacts of climate change, compounding the effects of social, economic and political changes. Most research has focused on hunting and fishing activities, overlooking berry picking as an important socio-cultural activity and contributor to the diversity of food systems. We examined the vulnerability of cloudberry (referred to as 'bakeapple' consistent with local terminology) picking to environmental changes in the community of Cartwright, Labrador using semi-structured interviews (n = 18), field surveys, and satellite imagery. We identified the components of vulnerability including: the environmental changes affecting the abundance, quality, and ripening time of bakeapples (i.e., exposure), the characteristics of the community that affect how these changes have local impacts (i.e., sensitivity), and the ways in which the community is responding to environmental changes (i.e., adaptive capacity). Our results confirm that environmental changes related to permafrost, vegetation, and water have occurred at the bakeapple picking grounds with observed impacts on bakeapples. It is becoming increasingly difficult for bakeapple pickers to respond to variable growth as in the past because of changes in summer settlement patterns that place families farther from their bakeapple patches. We conclude that harvesters in Cartwright have high adaptive capacity to respond to environmental changes due to their knowledge of their bakeapple patches, and at present, socioeconomic changes have had a greater impact than environmental changes on their harvesting capacity.