Food security conference in Dawson City, Yukon promoting community resilience, not reliance

Yahoo

6 days ago

Any community, of any size is capable of moving away from reliance, and toward resilience when it comes to food security and sovereignty, say panelists at the 2025 Yukon Food Security Conference in Dawson City.
Organized by the Yukon Food Security Network, this year's conference is taking place at the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Farm where the theme is: diversifying food systems with a rural and youth focus.
Most of the attendees came from communities across the North, but some people travelled from down south to participate.
Michelle Watson is the coordinator of the event. She said these types of gatherings are meant to ignite excitement around food security and sovereignty through discussions, workshops, and of course food.
"The conversation we're hoping to spark around here is that our work as individuals in our communities, and individuals in our organizations only goes so far," Watson said.
"But when we come together and we find ways to collaborate and we create that energy, that momentum ... that could really have a huge impact on the overall movement toward a more just, resilient, and equitable food system."
Watson said as the rate of food insecurity goes up, along with the cost of food, it's important for people to understand that proactive steps can be taken to address this on a community level.
Specifically in the Yukon and the North, one solution could be looking at traditional ways of harvesting food from the land, and learning from people who've done it for generations, she said.
"We cannot continue to rely on this one kind of food highway of mass produced, mass marketed products that comes from the global South to the global North," she said.
"With traditional food ways disappearing before our eyes. With all of these things it's really important for us to come together and to acknowledge yes we can't continue down this path and we're all here because we believe everyone has the right to food."
Derrick Hastings has been the manager of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Farm for the past eight years. He said the farm was the perfect setting to host the conference because it's a great example of what can be achieved on a community level with support from governments.
"We're a little bit further ahead as a First Nation farm in the Yukon," he explained. "I think we're more established right now and other First Nations are looking to this space so it gives representatives a chance to look at the good things we're doing. Maybe some of the things they would take on in their own farms."
Hastings also expressed the importance of becoming more self-sustaining as a community, and moving away from relying on big corporations for food security.
"Big retailers. Big producers. They want you to think you're dependent on them but abundance is there. We just have to take it," Hastings said.
"We have to invest in each other and create a circular economy. I invest in you and you invest in me and keep the dollars rotating. Keep the dollars local."
Brent Mansfield travelled from Vancouver, B,C. to attend the conference and speak as a panelist.
Mansfield is a teacher and a representative for the Coalition for Healthy School Food — Canada's largest network of organizations that advocate for a universal cost-shared healthy school food program.
"Gathering like this are so critical for connecting people," Mansfield said.
At conferences like this one, Mansfield says he's able to take what he's learned and advocate for food programming in schools on a national level. He added it's also a good way to be able to connect national representatives with local groups to discuss the needs and the work being done in communities.
"To be meeting people and understanding that allows me to be a more authentic advocate."
The 2025 Yukon Food Security Conference wraps up on Thursday evening.