Bridging The Gap Between Observations and Food Insecurity in the U.S. Arctic

The 2012-2014 average prevalence of household food insecurity and very low food security in Alaska was 12 percent (compared to 14 percent for the U.S.) and 4.3 percent (compared to 5.6 percent for the U.S.) respectively. Additionally, about 160,000 indigenous Inuit people (from Canada, the United States (U.S.), Greenland and Russia) are affected by food insecurity. The traditional components of food insecurity include availability, access, quality and utilization, but for Alaskan Inuits, food security includes the natural right of all Inuit to be part of the ecosystem, to access food and to care-take, protect and respect all of life, land, water and air. It is characterized by environmental health and is made up of six interconnecting dimensions, which include: availability; Inuit culture; decision-making power and management; health and wellness; stability; and accessibility. Observations, both sustained and community based, can help play a key role in providing information that directly contributes to helping Alaskan Arctic communities become more food secure in all six dimensions.

The focus of this research was to conduct Arctic focused observation and research activities, using science and traditional knowledge to improve understanding of fundamental environmental processes; and quickly translate the information gathered into useable products that responds, supports and strengthens the region as a whole. Current observing systems include Distributed Biological Observatory and ocean observing technology among others, which measure water, ice and air temperature, sea ice thickness, species abundance, and biodiversity. Data collected from these systems helps document the physical state of land, sea and temperature Arctic region, which can have direct impacts to bird, mammal and fish species as well as food security.

This talk will address how Arctic observing capabilities can make an impact on food insecurity issues in the region by helping to provide better understanding of ice coverage in order to better assess food web dynamics and advancing future projections of permafrost landscapes which can lead to greater consideration of impacts on infrastructure and ecosystem services.