The Northern Food Innovation Challenge is a pan-Canadian challenge aimed at increasing food security in the NWT.
Through the initiative, CanNor (the federal government’s northern economic development agency), is hoping to identify and fund innovative, community-led projects that will work in our northern and remote environment to support and improve food production and harvesting, food processing and food distribution, and transportation in Canada’s territories (projects related to innovative training and capacity building will also be considered.)
In June, approximately eight applicants will receive up to $250,000 to advance their projects. In 2023, up to three of these successful applicants will receive funding (up to $1M per project) to scale and deploy their project in one or more of the territories.
The Challenge is open to:
- not-for-profit associations;
- Indigenous governments, community-owned economic development corporations or other organizations;
- municipal governments;
- academic institutions; and
- small-and-medium-sized enterprises.
You can learn more about the Northern Food Innovation Challenge here.
The deadline for applications is March 31, 2021 to CanNor.
Last week, we celebrated Canadian Agriculture Day in the NWT. It was an opportunity to celebrate our agriculture sector and the work ITI is doing to position the NWT’s commercial agriculture sector to increase its production of fresh, healthy, safe and more-affordable locally grown food choices.
In time, increased local food production can and will also support the on-going goal to improve food security across the NWT.