(Photo: Abby Zieverink)

The BC government has launched a new $30 million initiative to help create more food security for the province’s Indigenous communities.

Agriculture and Food Minister Pam Alexis says the money will go to help support projects that will create more locally-grown Indigenous foods, with an eye toward job creation as well.

“This funding will support a range of things such as community food projects, skills training, increasing production, and climate change adaptation,” she said.

“These projects may incorporate Indigenous knowledge and techniques to increase the reach of food availability to lower income, rural, and remote Indigenous communities.”

As for examples of how the money will be used, Alexis says it will go towards new and improved greenhouses, irrigation systems, as well as food storage and processing infrastructure.

With that, Alexis says the project will create both food security and economic opportunities.

“We will be supporting projects that build capacity and put more control of how food is grown and distributed into the hands of Indigenous communities.”

Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir was part of the announcement on Thursday on Tkemlups.

“We are very thrilled to have this announcement and the commitment to Indigenous food sovereignty here in front of our Sweláps market — which is owned by Tkemlups te Secwepemc — We look forward to our grocery store also opening up this fall.”

Casimir says raising and collecting food in a sustainable manner has always been extremely important to First Nations people.

“Our ancestors had a complex and well-developed system of gathering and preserving. Building capacity around food sovereignty will support the well-being of our community and with the impacts of climate change, it is critical to have sufficient access to local, quality food.”

The new BC government program is set to start accepting applications and will be administered through an independent non-profit that works directly with BC’s indigenous communities.