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Up to $50,000 for your project: Apply to the Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Grants program by Feb. 17!

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The new Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Food Action Grant to support projects addressing food security and food sovereignty in Northern BC can provide up to $50,000 for your initiative. Apply by February 17, 2022!

Are you looking to address food security or food sovereignty in your community? (See definitions below).

Northern Health, in collaboration with the First Nations Healthy Authority, is pleased to announce the new Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Food Action Grant to support projects addressing food security and food sovereignty in Northern BC.

What is food security?

Food security exists when people have access to food that is affordable, culturally preferable, nutritious, and safe, and when communities have the ability to participate in, and to influence food systems. Food security means that food systems are resilient and adaptable, environmentally sustainable, socially just, and honour Indigenous food sovereignty.

What is food sovereignty?

Food sovereignty has been central to Indigenous cultures since time immemorial. Not familiar with the term? Check out a definition of food sovereignty here. Indigenous food sovereignty (IFS) and food security are strongly linked in unique and complex ways that differ for each individual, community, and Nation. Both Indigenous Food Sovereignty and food security are also directly related to physical, emotional, and spiritual connections with the land, air, and water. Therefore, access to traditional lands for the purposes of hunting, fishing, and gathering foods supports Indigenous food sovereignty and food security. Northern Health and the FNHA recognize that Indigenous food sovereignty can only be defined by the Indigenous person, community, or Nation working to achieve it.

Grant applications close February 17, 2022

The Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Food Action Grant program is intended to support community food action across Northern BC with the goal of improving food security in the region. This funding is part of a broader provincial and health authority commitment to advance food security in BC. Grants are available to a maximum of $50,000. The application deadline is midnight on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. 

For more information, including an application form and guide, visit the Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Grants webpage.

Learn more about food security: