Co-Construction and Experimentation of an Atikamekw Agricultural Action Network for Food Security and the Adoption of an Agricultural Production System Utilizing Local Biomass

Context

Since 2018, the Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok community of Opitciwan has been developing various agri-food projects in collaboration with CISA to address the high rate of food insecurity experienced locally. Through this collaboration, several models of collective and community-based food production have been tested using a participatory approach.

The co-creation of these spaces and the associated projects also revealed three major challenges encountered throughout the collaboration, which form the foundation of this new project: the need for improved communication and networking between the different sectors involved in agri-food activities within the community, the lack of local expertise, and the difficulties in sourcing supplies such as soil and fertilizers due to high transportation and purchase costs required for establishing new production spaces.

Project Objectives

In close collaboration with the community, the project aims to achieve three key objectives:

1. Locally produce fertile soil by processing and grinding a native plant that grows abundantly in the area, speckled alder (Alnus incana).
2. Develop local expertise with the support and collaboration of Biopterre.
3. Establish a local governance model to take leadership of the project, facilitating networking among the sectors involved.

The ultimate goals are to establish a governance model for Opitciwan’s agri-food projects, develop local know-how in producing soil tailored to the territory, and share this expertise with other Atikamekw communities.