Support for hunting, harvesting and community-led food programs

On this page

• What the Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund are
• How these programs work
• Who is eligible
• Recipient organizations
• Funding per organization

What the Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund are

Developed in direct collaboration with Indigenous and northern partners, these Nutrition North Canada (NNC) programs support Northerners' own food priorities, while improving conditions for food sovereignty within northern communities.

The Harvesters Support Grant increases access to country foods by providing funding to support traditional hunting, harvesting and food sharing in isolated communities. It also respects the inherent hunting and harvesting rights of Indigenous people in Canada.

The Community Food Programs Fund is an important component of the Harvesters Support Grant. Introduced in 2022, this fund has been co-developed with Indigenous partners to support a variety of community food sharing activities that include locally grown, market and country food. The Community Food Programs Fund expands the scope of the grant to initiatives such as school food programs, elders meal programs, and group ordering; supporting and strengthening the work that communities do to support local food security through culturally-appropriate, locally-led solutions.

Through flexible funding opportunities delivered by Indigenous organizations, the Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund:

• create less reliance on store bought food
• encourage the restoration of harvesting culture and practices
• supports local food production and community food sharing

Harvesters Support Grant expanded in June 2022, to include the new Community Food Programs Fund. 

How these programs work

Recipient organizations receive funding for eligible communities in their region and can create programs or other ways to support the communities they represent.

Each community has unique food security needs and priorities. The Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund are designed to ensure that Indigenous governments and organizations can decide how best to support their own communities.

The Harvesters Support Grant honours traditional decision making systems, and ensures that proposals are reviewed by a Women's Council, This council is composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals who have extensive experience and knowledge of Northern issues and harvesting traditions.

The Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund support a wide range of hunting, harvesting and food sharing activities or initiatives, such as:

• harvesting equipment, including maintenance and storage of equipment
• maintenance of harvesting sites
• transportation and fuel expenses
• training, certification and education
• safety and rescue equipment
• shelter and outdoor clothing
• food-related minor infrastructure, facilities, equipment and related maintenance
• gardening and animal husbandry
• food centres, hubs and community kitchens
• local food programs, such as school food, Elders meals and local food banks
• salaries and services required for the coordination of ordering, transport, or distribution of market foods within a community
• food distribution networks within and outside of communities
• buying clubs and revolving loan funds for bulk food purchasing
• traditional decision making structures and community coordination
• cultural ceremony and celebration
• research and innovation

Virtual chats

Who is eligible

To be eligible for the Harvesters Support Grant and the Community Food Programs Fund, an Indigenous organization representing a community must:

• qualify for the NNC subsidy
• be reliant on air transportation for more than 8 months each year

Thirteen communities eligible for the NNC retail subsidy are not reliant on air transportation for more than 8 months each year, and therefore not eligible for the Harvesters Support Grant. These communities are on the Quebec North Shore and the Northwest Territories:

• Pakuashipi
• La Tabatière
• Mutton Bay
• Tête-à-la-Baleine
• Harrington Harbour
• Chevery
• La Romaine
• Port Menier
• Tsiigehtchic
• Fort McPherson
• Inuvik
• Tuktoyaktuk
• Fort Simpson

Recipient organizations

Funding per organization

There are 2 streams of funding available to recipient organizations.

Stream 1: Land claim organization and self-government

For communities with settled land claims, grant funding is provided to the land claim or self-government organizations. These organizations are accountable to their own citizens for how they use and allocate the funding.

Stream 2: Communities

For communities without a settled land claim, a call for proposals are issued regularly to Indigenous organizations representing eligible communities. Proposals are developed in partnership with the communities and described their harvesting needs and objectives.

The amounts received by these recipient organizations reflect the increases to the Harvesters Support Grant and the Community Foods Program fund and are set to expire on March 31, 2024.

Contact information

If you live in an eligible community, contact your local community leadership.

• If your community does not have a settled land claim or self-government agreement, contact your local band council or other leadership office
• If your community has a settled land claim or self-government agreement, you can contact hunters and trappers organizations, land claim organizations or regional governments directly

For other questions about the Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund, email nutritionnordcanada-nutritionnorthcanada@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca