Food Security Hot AFN Topic

Fri, October 23, 2009
Posted in Alaska News, Top Stories

The issue of food security and revising the subsistence management system continued to be a major focus of the Alaska Federation of Natives convention today. Former state senator Kim Elton who is now the Interior Department’s senior advisor for Alaska Affairs wasted no time addressing the mandate from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that subsistence management would be a better system in the coming decades than it has been in the past three.

Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage

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Comments

WayUpNorthInAlaska

In addition to preserving subsistence rights, another way to improve food security in rural Alaska is to promote community gardens and/or farms so healthy fresh fruits and vegetables are available in the community and residents don't have to pay so much to air-freight them into town. A good example of what can happen in a rural Alaska community is Meyer's Farm (run by Tim Meyer) out in Bethel, http://meyersfarm.net/. This venture is very successful and provides locally grown produce for a reasonable price, and it's produce without all the travel damage you commonly find in rural Alaska. There are community garden/greenhouse projects in Fort Yukon, Sitka, Juneau and other communities around the state, plus there are newer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Fairbanks and Palmer that provide quality local produce to our larger communities.
Ron Brown

in the matter of "food engineering", the traditional way to prepare and
preserve native foods does not meet US Government standards because
we do not use artificial chemicals. perhaps if we call them "organic" then they can become profitable; but then we don't want people in
the lower 48 to be enjoying more healthy foods.