NIRIQATIGINNGA
PROJECTS
ENHANCING NORTHERN INDIGENOUS FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Welcome to our Niriqatiginnga Projects page. We’re excited to be starting this exciting new initiative in Fall-Winter 2023!
Niriqatiginnga, functioning as a hub for learning and connection with community, will be piloted in modular, co-developed phases. Our project will begin during the fall and winter of 2023-2024. It will focus on three areas: capacity building, participatory food security research training and economic reconciliation through creative food sector entrepreneurship.
We are designing Niriqatiginnga as an experimental “framework” because we are aiming for modular and emergent experiences. Some components of the project will be smaller, shorter, and highly experimental while other activities will take longer, have a more formal structure and require a more sustained level of effort. Each activity and “mini-project” overlaps with and complements the others.
Learn more about how we’re designing Niriqatiginnga to align with advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Here is a list of food security, arts and community based research and resources we will be using for the Niriqatiginnga program.
Northern Food Security and Supply Chain Studies
Enhancing Food Security and Sovereignty through Operations and Supply Chain Initiatives in the North American Arctic
Niriqatiginnga isn’t just studying supply chains and food systems. We’re co-designing a program with activities taking place from farm to fork, and hunter to home.
The research component of the program, will analyze trends, patterns, and correlations in food supply, shipping, consumption, and nutritional data, identifying areas of concern to inform targeted interventions.
This research will also enable evidence-based policy dialogues and recommendations for future resource allocations to address the root causes of food insecurity and to promote the enhancing of sustainable northern food systems.
Relationship Development and Engagement
Decision Making in Supply Chain Operations
On November 22, we met with graduate students studying decision making in supply chain operations. The sessions were led by Dr. Wenqing Zhang, PhD at the Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth. We are incredibly thankful for their support and appreciate being included!
Knowledge Exchange for Sectoral Development
Exploring Cluster-Based Approaches
Innovation Clusters can be defined as: inter-connected organizations, projects and institutions working in a common industry. They involve the creation of collaborative and dynamic relationships between various players around common goals, innovative ideas, knowledge sharing, public and private investment. Clusters also foster collaborative environments around common frameworks designed to promote synergy and innovation.
Some important examples of organizations, models and approaches we want to study are:
The Arctic Foods Innovation Cluster (AFIC) is a project that aims to pull together relevant people in the Arctic foods value chain for a cluster-based approach to food production and regional economic development. On this same front, we are also excited to learn about the UArctic Thematic Network on Northern Food Security.
Manitoba Agriculture’s Food Development Centre (FDC) is a fee-for-service facility that provides product commercialization with technical and research assistance for agri-food businesses. It provides a services focus on plant and animal protein products and ingredients to support the Manitoba Protein Advantage (MPA).
Getting creative for northern Food Security and Food Sovereignty
This year we’re working with Biosystems students from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design to create a toolkit and facilitator’s guide. Its purpose is to assist community-based projects in building relationships between research institutions, academia, Indigenous communities and government.
The activities are also intended to support the exploration of future research projects, training and relationship building initiatives.
We are incredibly thankful to the students and to everyone at MCAD and the Creative Entrepreneurship program for supporting our project.
Check back in December when they showcase their work!
This year’s focus includes assisting community-based projects in building relationships between research institutions, academia, Indigenous communities and government. The activities are also intended to support the exploration of future research projects and training initiatives.
