Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, MB – Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Inc. is issuing this statement to respond to the Federal Government’s National Food Security Strategy. MKO is encouraged that the Federal Government has identified food security as a national policy priority. However, MKO remains deeply concerned that the lack of dedicated funding accessible to First Nations in the north will reinforce northern dependence on southern agricultural systems and supply chains.
Canada’s National Food Security Strategy identifies limited retailer competition, insufficient processing capacity, and a heavy reliance on agricultural imports as key drivers of food insecurity nationwide. MKO agrees with this assessment. However, MKO reminds Canada that these challenges are significantly intensified in northern First Nations, where remoteness, higher costs, and limited infrastructure contribute to food insecurity levels nearly 46 percent higher than the provincial average.
These disparities should have been explicitly recognized in Canada’s National Food Security Strategy and addressed through equitable, targeted investments in First Nations. Instead, the only identified dedicated measure for northern food security is $100 million from a broader $750 million fund intended for rural and northern communities to support year-round fruit and vegetable production. This allocation is wholly inadequate to meet the realities facing northern First Nations and fails to reflect equity in view of the scale and urgency of the food insecurity crisis in northern Manitoba.
Grand Chief Garrison Settee stated:
 
“A food-secure North means a food-secure Canada. First Nations cannot be left out of this equation. Today, northern First Nations families pay more for food, receive less nutritious options, and face disproportionately high levels of food insecurity due to inequitable investment in their communities. This reality is unacceptable. The Federal Government must meaningfully engage First Nations and invest in their solutions. Together, we must ensure that every child, family, and individual can go to bed with a full stomach.”
The soaring cost of food in the north is creating real, immediate hardship. At the MKO Foodbank in Thompson, demand has surged. In the 2025–2026 fiscal year alone, the foodbank distributed 5,818 food packages, a sharp increase from 4,849 the year before, as more families struggle to meet their basic needs.
MKO remains resolute in advocating for dedicated resources to close the food insecurity gap in northern Manitoba.
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