NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, food security, greenhouse, agriculture, northern community

Objective(s): To improve services by talking with community residents about their perceptions and experiences about buying and growing local food.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4866. The aim of this research is to support community food security. Working with the Inuvik Community Greenhouse (ICG), the purpose of this research is to improve services by talking with community residents about their perceptions and experiences about buying and growing local food. The research team are looking to find out why people may or may not participate in the community greenhouse, how the greenhouse can improve services, what Inuvik residents see as possible food security solutions, and if social circles may impact the sustainability of the greenhouse. The team also want to know if being a member of the Inuvik Community Greenhouse affects how much fruit and vegetables people eat. The team hope this research's outcomes provide the ICG and other organizations providing food security services with possible pathways to improve their services, become more inclusive for all community residents, and understand how new food technologies can increase greater food security independence in circumpolar communities. Because of the rates of food insecurity, conditions that impact growing and transporting food, and the knowledge gaps about new agriculture technology's social relevance, this research project is an ideal case study to understand this communities' journey in starting a new food technology to grow food locally. Consultation and collaboration between partners in this project began in the 2020 winter through a longstanding existing relationship between Dr. Natcher, the Inuvik Greenhouse Society, and Cold Acre Food Systems. They have been collaborating on several food security projects over the past six years, all of which are part of an Arctic Council project focusing on Arctic food security and innovations. Together, these partners hold extensive knowledge of community food security and food-producing methods in Arctic settings. The design of this research approach pairs community-based organizations (CBOs) with the University of Saskatchewan researchers in a collaborative partnership that values diverse perspectives. This joining is important to this research design because we pair the university trainee (Vold) with CBOs to work collaboratively to recruit participants, collect data, and analyze data. This project uses a case study design and multiple data collection tools. There are three ways we will engage with greenhouse members and non-members. These instruments have yet to be finalized as the research team are still working with community partners to confirm the questions. First, the research team will use a survey to assess self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption at two different points in time (post-harvest and later in the winter) and compare this between members and non-members. Second, the team will use a social network survey with only greenhouse members to self-report their social connections. The results of this survey will show the relationships and connection patterns of greenhouse membership. Third, with consenting members and non-members, the team will engage participants in qualitative interviews to explore their perceptions and experiences about accessing food in Inuvik. While the preference would be to conduct this research in-person, the research team will continue to follow COVID-19 guidelines set by territorial and institutional authorities. If in-person data collection is not possible, the team have electronic and hard-copy data collection methods, such as Webex, Survey Monkey, Skype, etc. Sample selection for this research includes seeking community residents for key informant interviews. For greenhouse membership, the partnering organizations will assist in data collection. The research team will advertise through posters at the greenhouse and, with permission, through the ICG email distribution, social media, and webpage. The team will follow recommendations from the community partners about how to recruit non-members. Initial non-member recruitment strategies could include posters at consenting community hubs (e.g., library, Midnight Sun Recreation Complex, Aurora College, Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre, etc.), and snowball and referral sampling, whereby the team will provide a study information sheet with researcher contact information. If feasible, the team will advertise through radio and social media. The research team hope to collect 50 surveys from members and 50 surveys from non-members for comparison. At the end of the surveys, participants can leave contact information if they wish to participate in an interview to discuss their perspective in more detail. The team hope to conduct 30 key informant interviews. Inclusion criteria for surveys and interviews are that: 1) participants are English-speaking adults 18 years of age or older who primarily live or work in Inuvik; 2) consider themselves to be involved in food security activities in Inuvik, in any capacity; and 3) can commit approximately one hour their time. For quantitative data from the surveys, the research team will conduct descriptive statistics of survey respondents' demographics and responses using SPSS (Statistics Package for the Social Sciences). For the social network survey, the team will use the SNA (Systems Network Architecture) networking program to transform the survey responses into a network web or sociogram. For qualitative data from the open-ended survey questions and interviews, the team will complete the analysis by using open coding. Open coding is an iterative and reflexive process that refers to breaking the data down into categories through making comparisons and asking questions about what is being studied. The categories can be organic that comes out of data analysis, or conditional originating from outside the data. The research team will thematically organize data to identify key themes according to the research objectives and collaborate with the community partners. Because of the historical marginalization of knowledge, the team welcome and encourage the "bringing together" of Western and Indigenous ways of knowing through embedding community partners in this project. More precisely, the community partners' voices offer valuable insight through similar and different ways of knowing that, through the living and lived experience with northern food security and food systems specific to their community. Following these and community-based participatory research principles, the team will consult with the partners during analysis, checking with them to interpret and synthesize research findings. Even though this study is in one community, the research team have taken deliberate steps through the research proposal development to connect and build relationships with people of influence in Canada's food security and northern agriculture domains. This connection is purposeful to bring external perspectives to this research and transfer what the team learn from this research to their communities. This study will add significant depth of understanding of of ongoing food security and community-based program of research. Following the initial data analysis, the research team will write short, tentative findings into summary reports to share with the project partners for feedback on initial interpretation. Building on this feedback, the team will consolidate the findings into a single technical report describing the dietary impact of these initiatives, pathways for community collaboration, and perceived facilitators or constraints to adoption and participation in the new agriculture technologies and community greenhouses in the Inuvik context. The team will also create infographics and presentations to tell a visual story of the research findings according to the research objectives. The research team will target the knowledge sharing to four specific groups: 1) those directly impacted by food security such as greenhouse members, their families, advocacy groups, and those not connected to services. They will benefit from more responsive and fitting pathways to services that have the potential to enhance access to nutritious local food; 2) those directly involved in designing and delivering community-based food security programming, such as the ICG, Cold Acre, food banks, food retailers, among others. They will benefit from a more comprehensive understanding of community needs and potential new technologies. CBOs providing food security supports will benefit by learning ways to enhance their capacity to serve better their population; 3) those who write and dispense food security-related policies, such as municipal and territorial governments. They will benefit from a greater understanding of how the outcomes of their related policies affect Inuvik residents and organizations and identify opportunities for better aligning policies with identified needs; and, 4) the general public will benefit from learning about new and existing northern agriculture technology in an approachable and creative way. Consultations to date overwhelmingly recommended that researchers seek alternative methods, such as arts-based methods, to share their results. Stigma is a crucial barrier for individuals who are considering accessing and engaging in social and health services. Accessible ways to share findings with the public may reduce stigma are welcome (e.g., community halls, events at ICG, sharing circles, digital storytelling). The community partners will be a leader in how to disseminate the findings. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from January 27, 2021 to December 31, 2021.