2026-27 Horizontal initiative: Nutrition North Canada
Table of contents
General information
Name of horizontal initiative: Nutrition North Canada
Lead department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
Federal partner organizations: Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Start date of the horizontal initiative: April 1, 2011
End date of the horizontal initiative: Ongoing
Description of the horizontal initiative: Nutrition North Canada (NNC) plays a vital role in supporting food security across eligible northern and isolated communities through a suite of targeted programs. Its core objective is to improve access to perishable, nutritious, and country foods for residents in communities without year-round surface access (road, rail, or marine). While NNC alone cannot eliminate food insecurity, it contributes significantly to a broader, whole-of-government approach that includes collaboration with Indigenous leadership, territorial and provincial governments, and local communities. Through Budget 2021, NNC expanded its mandate to include broader food security efforts, reinforcing its role within this coordinated strategy.
Under the program, subsidies are provided to registered retailers, country food processors and distributors, and other approved food suppliers in eligible communities to help offset the cost of shipping eligible foods by air. The value of the subsidy is based on the weight of the foods shipped, and recipients are expected to pass these savings on to consumers through lower prices.
In addition to supporting access to store-bought food, NNC invests in traditional food systems through the Harvesters Support Grant (HSG) and the Community Food Programs Fund (CFPF). Co-developed with Indigenous partners, these initiatives support harvesting practices, local food sharing, and culturally appropriate food security solutions that promote self-determination.
Recognizing that food cost is only one factor influencing healthy eating, both ISC and PHAC complement the NNC subsidy by funding culturally appropriate retail and community-based nutrition education initiatives. These efforts aim to increase knowledge of healthy eating and develop skills for selecting and preparing healthy store-bought and traditional foods.
| Federal organizations | Total federal funding allocated (from start to end date) |
|---|---|
| CIRNAC |
|
| ISC |
|
| PHAC |
|
|
|
Strategic Outcomes and Funding
Planning highlights
CIRNAC: NNC continues to evolve with guidance from Indigenous and northern partners, increasingly adopting a food-systems and co-delivery approach to advance food security and food sovereignty. The program regularly engages with its Advisory Board, the Indigenous Working Group, and the Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group to collaboratively develop strategies that strengthen program effectiveness.
In 2024, the departmental evaluation of NNC was launched to inform program improvements. Its terms of reference and design were founded on the direct involvement of Indigenous partners, local communities, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and others affected by NNC. The results, which will also help to inform the future of the program, are expected to be published by early 2026.
NNC is also planning a March 2026 Food Sovereignty Summit in partnership with Food Banks Canada. This event will bring together community recipients (community leaders, community members, youth and Elders), the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board and Indigenous Working Group, retailers and suppliers, airlines, non-profit stakeholders, and program officials. Central to this initiative is a whole-of-government response to food security and to strengthening the resilience of the northern food economy. The summit will provide a forum to share ideas, best practices, and pathways for advancing food security, food sovereignty, and local economic development in the North.
ISC: In 2026–27, ISC will continue to work with CIRNAC and PHAC to support the overall implementation of NNC, as appropriate. Specifically, ISC will continue to fund and support culturally appropriate retail and community-based nutrition education initiatives in NNC-eligible First Nations and Inuit communities. These activities focus on increasing knowledge of healthy eating, developing skills for selecting and preparing healthy store-bought and traditional or country foods, and improving access to healthy food.
PHAC: The agency will continue to support culturally appropriate retail and community-based nutrition education initiatives in 10 NNC communities that are outside the purview of ISC. The activities, developed and delivered by community-based organizations, aim to increase knowledge of healthy eating and support skills for the selecting and preparing of healthy store-bought and traditional or country foods.
Planning information
Horizontal initiative overview
Name of horizontal initiative: Nutrition North Canada
Total federal funding allocated: $1,324,472,001
Planned spending to date: $1,636,657,046
Actual spending to date: $1,629,399,835
2026-27 planned spending: $72,211,200
Shared outcomes
| Name of theme | Theme 1: Food access | Theme 2: Nutrition education | Internal Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theme outcomes | Local food systems and food economies in eligible communities are strengthened to ensure equitable and secure food access for residents | Isolated northern communities are healthier | Not applicable |
| CIRNAC |
|
Not applicable |
|
| ISC | Not applicable | $21,766,000 (2016–17 to 2020–21) and $4,363,200 ongoing | $594,505 (2016–17 to 2020–21) and $118,901 ongoing |
| PHAC | Not applicable |
|
Not applicable |
Theme horizontal initiative activities
| Themes | Total federal funding allocated since the last renewal | 2026–27 total federal planned spending |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 1: Food access (CIRNAC) | $155,141,000 | $67,463,000 |
| Theme 2: Nutrition education (ISC and PHAC) | $0 | $4,748,200 |
| Total all themes | $155,141,000 | $72,211,200 |
| Theme outcome | Theme performance indicator | Theme target | Date to achieve theme target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local food systems and food economies in eligible communities are strengthened to ensure equitable and secure food access for residents | Number of community sharing initiatives supported by the Grant | 800 | March 31, 2027 |
| Theme outcome | Theme performance indicator | Theme target | Date to achieve theme target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isolated northern communities are healthier | Percentage of NNC eligible population reporting their health is excellent or very goodTable note a |
|
March 31, 2028 |
|
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Evaluations
Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation: No evaluation is currently planned. The 2025–26 Horizontal Evaluation of Nutrition North Canada was approved in December 2025.
Legacy Data
Date of last renewal of the horizontal initiative: April 2024 and November 2025
Total federal funding allocated at the last renewal, and source of funding (dollars): $199,941,000 (2024–25 to 2026–27) Budget 2024 and $32,500,000 (2025–26) Budget 2025
Additional federal funding received after the last renewal (dollars): Not applicable
Total planned spending since last renewal: $56,115,000
Total actual spending since last renewal: $56,115,000