Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security in the Canadian Arctic

WORKSHOP OUTLINE POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED These questions may also provide the basis for an Arctic Food Security Conference or workshop.

Provincial and Territorial (Department of Health and Social Services): Yukon Government; Northwest Territory; Nunavut, Quebec, NFLD and Labrador NGO: Community representatives, Nasivvik, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK); Inuit Circumpolar Council – Canada (ICC); Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN); Dene Nation. Workshop Outline: A combination of discussions at the plenary and working group level will be developed to ensure an interdisciplinary outcome for the workshop. A series of plenary keynote talks on the first morning and afternoon will outline the current state of knowledge, recent developments, and predictions for future trends with respect to the meeting’s themes. These keynote addresses will set the stage for deliberations in parallel working groups over the following days.

Where are the gaps in knowledge and action with respect to the challenge that climate change poses for Arctic food security? What needs to be done to ensure a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and multi- stakeholder approach to achieving food security in the Arctic? What modalities are required for a long-term and sustained approach to addressing food security in the Arctic? What are the elements of a community adaptation strategy to the impacts of climate change on food security? PROPOSED FORMAT UNEP/GRID-Arendal has assessed the need for a three day “Arctic Peoples Food Security Workshop” to be held in the Canadian Arctic in the winter of 2009 or the spring of 2010. This concept was supported at a March 2009 UNESCO meeting on climate change in the Arctic hosted by the Prince of Monaco (Draft UNESCO Meeting Report, 2009). It is suggested that this workshop be small (~50 people) and strategic with clear objectives on determining the elements for adaptation strategies and developing recommendations to ensure Arctic Peoples Food Security. Potential Partners: International: UNEP/GRID-Arendal; Arctic Council, Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG); World Health Organization (WHO); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); UNESCO; United Nations Environment Program (UNEP); ICC international offices (Greenland, Alaska, Russia); Saami Council, Gwiich’in Council International (GCI); Arctic Athabascan Council (AAC), Aleut International Association (AIA), RAIPON, Many Strong Voices (MSV) National: The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs; Health Canada; Agriculture Canada; US Department of Health; representatives from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Russia • • • •

Working groups will be established to address major themes such as:

Climate Change and Food Security: Critical issues of change

1.

Arctic Community Food Security Responses: Adaptive Capacity and Resiliency

2.

Food Security Knowledge gaps and Institutional needs

3.

Learning from others: Global food security perspectives

4.

Four cross-cutting themes will also be explored in these same working groups

Environmental, Social, Cultural ethics

1.

Education for sustainable development

2.

Monitoring and observing systems

3.

Global connections and change in the Arctic

4.

The Workshop would produce a report and a set of recommendations that would be delivered to a various levels of governments, identify the key elements necessary for community adaptation strategies in the Arctic, and identify a potential pilot study.

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IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD SECURITY IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC