NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, policy, agriculture, food

Objective(s): To develop a holistic framework that identifies the challenges to northern agricultural development from an environmental, technical and sociopolitical standpoint.

Project Description: The objectives of this research is to develop a holistic framework that identifies the challenges to northern agricultural development from an environmental, technical and sociopolitical standpoint. This study will target the following research questions: 1.Which agricultural production systems are most commonly used in northern Canada? 2.What are the primary factors affecting the diffusion rate of agricultural knowledge and technology in northern Canada? 3.How is agricultural development perceived by the northern population, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous? 4.How do Indigenous persons in the North relate to agricultural development? Positively? Negatively? a. How do these perceptions shape agricultural development in northern Canada? Data will be collected through key informant interviews, with the participants being identified through stakeholder analysis. The principal investigator will prepare a preliminary list of key informants by identifying major agricultural initiatives in northern Canada such as the Inuvik Community Greenhouse, Northern Farm Training Institute, Iqaluit Greenhouse Society, Green Iglu, Yukon Agricultural Association, etc. These key informants will be recruited using a recruitment letter and should they agree to participate, they will complete one of three questionnaires, with the appropriate questionnaire being determined by the respondent’s role in northern agriculture. The questionnaires are centered on the respondents’ experience with northern agriculture as it related to technical/environmental challenges, community involvement and policy interventions. Each interview will be audio-recorded and later transcribed. The investigator will review all answers with the respondent to ensure the validity, then the results will be used to develop an individual model. It is expected that while many challenges to northern agriculture will be similar across the North, there will be differences between regions due to geography and governance. As such, the individual models from a given region will be combined in a regional model. Once the regional models have been constructed and validated, comparisons between regions will also be made as this may help determine whether interventions are necessary and at what governmental level. The data provided by the respondents will be supplemented with a literature review of primary and secondary data, including government policy documents and various feasibility studies. This research relies heavily on local involvement as the data will be collected through key informant interviews with residents of the Northwest Territories. The principal investigator will identify major agricultural players in the NWT and request their participation in the study. The participants will be asked a series of questions about their experience in northern agriculture, then asked to identify other potential participants. Local involvement will thus be critical for data collection and the identification of other potential participants. Furthermore, there may be opportunities for local involvement where translation of data from Indigenous languages to English is required. The results will be disseminated in various forms. A major report containing all the results will be made publicly available but primarily target policymakers and community leaders. Furthermore, the principal investigator will consult with community leaders on which aspects of the research are most important to community members and local agriculturalists, as well as which dissemination form is most appropriate/effective in the region. Accessible materials will then be prepared which focus heavily on the aspects identified as most important, while mention of the remaining results will also be made and information on how to access the entire report. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 24, 2019 to August 31, 2019.