Speaker: Jessica Bolduc Session: Forest, Foraged and Wild Food

1. Establishing a Wild Foodsbased Economy in Northern
Ontario
Prepared by: Jessica Bolduc, Research Coordinator
NORDIK Institute

2. Overview
 Definition of Non-timber Forest Products and Wild Foods
 Prefeasibility Study of Wild Foods Processing in Algoma - partnership with
private sector and the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN)
 Broader implications facing Wild Foods harvesting in Northern Ontario
 Opportunities and benefits of Wild food-based economies
 Policy and Research challenges and opportunities

3. Wild Foods and Non-Timber Forest
Products
 Definition of NTFPs (Mohammed, 1999):
 Botanical products harvested or originating from forest based species
 Exclude primary timber products such as lumber and paper
 Can be categorized as food, health and personal care products, materials and
manufacturing products, environmental products, landscape and garden
products, decorative and aesthetic products
 Some of the best known NTFPs are those that are from cultivated sources
such as maple syrup and Christmas trees/ornamental decorations
 Wild foods (forest and freshwater) are typically harvested without
cultivation and include wild game, blueberries, rice, plants used for teas,
fiddleheads, mushrooms and medicines

4. What is RAIN?
Funding Sources
The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) is
a project of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation
Centre (SSMIC) and NORDIK Institute, with
collaboration and support from local
associations, producers, businesses,
communities and funding organizations.
• Build relationships through networking,
collaboration and priority setting
• Build capacity of local producers and businesses
in agriculture and food through practical
workshops, sharing information, and assisting with
market development
Cooks Station
Corporation
• Undertake research, tailored to the needs of
local producers by conducting crop trials,
fostering innovation and sharing research that
Algoma Community Pasture
improves the sector
Association

5. Pre-feasibility analysis of NTFPs and Wild
Foods Processing in Algoma
 Collaboration with Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), private sector
harvestor and wild foods processing company
 Contracted consultant to undertake study – expected completion December
2013
 Examining the ownership and financial considerations for establishing a
NTFP processing facility in the Algoma District
 Study will fill necessary gaps to determine if the processing facility would be
viable for potential First Nation’s partners in Algoma
 Model could be replicated in other First Nations and communities across
Northern Ontario

6. Project Impacts – Land, People, Economy
 Support economic development and create sustainable employment for
First Nation communities
 Provide supplemental income for areas experiencing declining levels of
employment
 Temporary project related employment during construction
 Creation of several positions related to operations (kitchen, coordinators,
warehouse personnel, food scientist)
 Estimated 75 seasonally employed foragers needed across Northern Ontario to
supply the facility
 Income to First Nation communities through social entrepreneurship and business
development, partnerships, cooperatives and ecotourism opportunities
 Support food security, land and ecological stewardship
 Connecting youth with Elders and relating back to Anishinaabe culture and
teachings

7. Project Challenges
 Lack of obvious harvesting network in First Nations in Ontario and limited
involvement by these communities in the establishment of new economies
based on NTFPs
 Organizational and business capacity building is essential as well as encouraging
youth to consider food-related education and career pursuit
 A support strategy is needed for Northern communities on how to access
markets for these products and new market opportunities should be developed.
 Lack of community knowledge and support for pursuing food based
economies over primary resource development (mining, forestry)
 Limited research in Northern Ontario for agriculture and food-related
industries and a lack of commitment to capacity building for this sector
 Barriers arising from existing legislation and land use planning

8. Broader Context &
Implications for N. ON

9. Benefits of Economies rooted in NTFPs
and Wild Foods
 Create an approach to development that ensures sustainability of the
resources while supporting community economies
 Supporting food security for Northern and First Nation communities and
promotion of ‘local food ’to support resilient Northern economies
 Contribute to health and well-being by providing nutritious diet alternatives
that can prevent chronic diet-related illness (heart disease, obesity,
diabetes)
 Supports intergenerational relationships through knowledge sharing of
traditional harvesting and connection to the land
 Increases the connection between humans and ecological systems
 Foster a broader understanding of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and their
implications for community, economic and social development

10. Traditional Forest based-economy vs
the Bio-economy
 Boom and bust cycles caused by industrial resource extraction
 Northern Ontario economies based strongly on timber and resource
extraction
 Food and agriculture development has been neglected in favour of primary
resource development
 Forest Management Planning does not acknowledge or protect NTFPs and
wild foods
 Wild foods – mushrooms, fiddleheads, blueberries, teas and syrup under
appreciated/valued
 Wild foods offer policy makers, planners and communities a new way of
responding to issues such as unemployment and economic instability while
enabling protection and stewardship of natural resources and ecosystems
 Triple bottom line – sustainable development that addresses the needs of the
land, the people and the economy

11. Legislation and Land Use Planning
 Legislation and land use planning important tools to protect and support
wild foods-based economies and protection from exploitation. However:
 Ontario’s Northern Growth Plan focused on existing and emerging priority
economic sectors but does not balance this with social and environmental
concerns
 Legislation, tenure systems and strategic planning in Ontario lack attention to
NTFPs, including wild foods with minimal direction to their use and conservation
 Harvesting and sale of NTFPs are regulated through ad-hoc framework of
legislation and policy
 Currently missing incentives such as business support, training, information and
facilitation for collaboration within the sector and with other industries
 New ‘Local Food’ legislation does not acknowledge wild foods as being local
and thus supports are likely to not exist at a level at which they are needed

12. Call to Action – Future Sector Priorities
 Identification and valuation of the services provided by NTFP ecosystems in
N. ON
 Undertake options analysis of NTFP related business to identify options for Northern
Communities, support Northern Communities in marketing products and accessing markets
 Support for interested First Nation communities in the collection and
mapping of NTFP related Traditional Ecological Knowledge of their traditional
lands in Northern Ontario
 Assessment of the extent of NTFP harvesting by individuals and communities
in N. ON and a comprehensive economic valuation of these activities
 Assessment of the cultural and social benefits of wild foods and related
activities for northern communities
 Scan of successful policy and management approaches in other jurisdictions
(such as BC) for ensuring the sustainable and equitable use of NTFPs
 Supporting NTFP based businesses through access to specialized programs,
training, micro-financing and recognition of these ventures as viable business
opportunities by lenders and economic development agencies

13. Miigwetch!
Contact:
Jessica Bolduc, Research Coordinator
NORDIK Institute
1520 Queen St. E
P6A 2G4
Email: Jessica.Bolduc@algomau.ca
Web: www.nordikinstitute.com