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Nutrition North worries politicians Jeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Monday, February 27, 2012 Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott, along with his counterparts from the other two territories, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, sent a letter to federal Ministers John Duncan and Leona Aglukkaq on Feb. 20 expressing their concerns. Duncan is the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development while Aglukkaq is the Nunavut MP and federal Health minister. Elliott - who represents Grise Fiord, Resolute and Arctic Bay - stated limited transportation links in the High Arctic have translated into "extremely high" food prices. However, he admitted his communities recognize it will cost more to ship food up there because they are at the end of the supply chain.
"With representing three communities at the end of the supply chain, the issue of how goods are shipped to our communities is a huge concern," stated Elliott in an e-mail to his constituents.
The issue of accessibility to affordable and nutritious food is an ongoing concern in the territory, he added.
Under the Nutrition North Canada Program introduced about 10 months ago, retailers get freight subsidies, as opposed to Canada Post under the previous Food Mail program. In turn, retailers are supposed to pass the savings on to customers.
Elliott said Northerners are putting a lot of faith on the retailers to be honest about passing on the savings and trusting the federal government as the watchdog.
"In all the discussions I've had, I still do not know how we, for sure, find out whether the savings are being passed on," he said.
The five politicians do not feel Nutrition North is completely meeting its objective of ensuring nutritious food and essential household products are more affordable and accessible, states the letter.
Improving access to country foods, the necessity of expanding the eligibility list and the importance of oversight and enforcement in relations to retail food pricing and subsidy applications is important, stated Elliott.
"The policy of providing the highest subsidy on the most nutritious food is good but when it comes to affordability of food, it raises the question of what 'affordable' means," stated Elliott.
"The legislative assembly of Nunavut has been working as a team to collect information and influence the federal government to rethink the program."
He added he feels the program "needs some work" but Elliott said he doesn't want the program to be scrapped because there is a willingness from the federal government to make it work.
Duncan did not react to the letter but his department stated in an e-mail response officials are reviewing the letter and press release.
"The program follows a new market-driven model which is a sustainable, efficient, cost-effective and transparent means of helping Northerners access nutritious perishable food," stated department spokeswoman Genevieve Guibert.
Arctic Co-operatives are present in every community except Iqaluit and Clyde River and Duane Wilson, the company's vice-president of merchandising and logistics, said people should look no further than the store shelves to see lower prices.
"If you actually looked at prices in the stores, you would find prices for nutritious perishable foods, since the introduction of Nutrition North Canada, are actually down," he said.
He added he doesn't know how that can be perceived as negative.
Wilson said if the goal of the program to promote accessibility to nutritious food at cheaper prices and ship those efficiently, "then I think the proof is on the shelves, in the pricing at those community grocery stores."
Iglulik resident Dan Guay told Nunavut News/North last November that "fruits, vegetables, milk and eggs seem very cheap compared to what they used to be," after Nutrition North shipping subsidy rates per kilogram were increased by as much as $1.70 in some communities on Oct. 1. Residents in Cambridge Bay and Clyde River also spoke of noticeable decreases in price.
Problems still arise, as Elliott stated in his letter, with needs for expanded food eligibility, especially in transporting country foods throughout the territory.
Federal officials told Nunavummiut in 2011 that country foods are not on the list because they do not come from federally-regulated industries.
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