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A plan to tackle hunger, reduce poverty Nunavut Food Security Symposium slated for January; territorial strategy in the worksJeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Monday, Oct 29, 2012
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) and the Government of Nunavut signed an agreement to collaborate on the implementation of the Makimaniq Plan to reduce poverty. The agreement, formalized in Iqaluit on Oct. 24, includes the development of the Nunavut Food Security Strategy which will start this fall with a number of roundtable sessions to discuss food security concerns.
The Nunavut Food Security Symposium will be held in Iqaluit from Jan. 22 to 24, and will focus on measures to include in the food security strategy. A territorial food strategy is expected to be released next spring.
Premier Eva Aariak called it an "important milestone."
"Poverty reduction, the Makimaniq plan, is all about self-reliance. It's all about empowerment at the community levels," she said. "Not one organization can address that but it has to be a huge collective effort from the business sector, with the government of Nunavut and NTI and any other entity that might want to take part."
She said the territorial government will introduce legislation during the winter sitting detailing how it will participate in the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Cathy Towtongie said NTI looks forward to working with its partners to find solutions.
"Action must be taken now on food security," she said.
The agreement also outlines the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction's main roles, such as providing leadership and oversight for the implementation of the Makimaniq Plan as well as preparing a five-year poverty reduction action plan for the territory.
A commitment from Aariak and Towtongie to convene a meeting of the roundtable at least twice a year is included in the agreement.
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