Automated pastures and the digital divide: how agricultural technologies are shaping labour and rural communities

A “digital revolution” in agriculture is underway. Advanced technologies like sensors, artificial intelligence, and robotics are increasingly being promoted as a means to increase food production efficiency while minimizing resource use. In the process, agricultural digitalization raises critical social questions about the implications for diverse agricultural labourers and rural spaces as digitalization evolves. In this paper, we use literature and field data to outline some key trends being observed at the nexus of agricultural production, technology, and labour in North America, with a particular focus on the Canadian context. Using the data, we highlight three key tensions observed: rising land costs and automation; the development of a high-skill/low-skilled bifurcated labour market; and issues around the control of digital data. With these tensions in mind, we use a social justice lens to consider the potential implications of digital agricultural technologies for farm labour and rural communities, which directs our attention to racial exploitation in agricultural labour specifically. In exploring these tensions, we argue that policy and research must further examine how to shift the trajectory of digitalization in ways that support food production as well as marginalized agricultural labourers, while pointing to key areas for future research—which is lacking to date. We emphasize that the current enthusiasm for digital agriculture should not blind us to the specific ways that new technologies intensify exploitation and deepen both labour and spatial marginalization

Relationality, Responsibility and Reciprocity: Cultivating Indigenous Food Sovereignty within Urban Environments

There are collective movements of Indigenous food sovereignty (IFS) initiatives taking up place and space within urban environments across the Grand River Territory, within southern Ontario, Canada. Indigenous Peoples living within urban centres are often displaced from their home territories and are seeking opportunities to reconnect with culture and identity through Land and food. This research was guided by Indigenous research methodologies and applied community-based participatory research to highlight experiences from seven Indigenous community members engaged in IFS programming and practice. Thematic analysis revealed four inter-related themes illustrated by a conceptual model: Land-based knowledge and relationships; Land and food-based practices; relational principles; and place. Participants engaged in five Land and food-based practices (seed saving; growing and gathering food; hunting and fishing; processing and preserving food; and sharing and distributing), guided by three relational principles (responsibility, relationality, and reciprocity), framed by the social and physical environments of the place. Key findings revealed that employing self-determined processes to grow, harvest, and share food among the Indigenous community provide pathways towards IFS. This study is the first to explore urban IFS initiatives within this region, offering a novel understanding of how these initiatives are taking shape within urban environments

Indigenous peoples' health and well-being in a changing climate

Chapter 7, Box 7.1: Studies on climate change as it affects the health of Indigenous Peoples generally focus on non-displaced indigenous groups; that is, Indigenous Peoples maintaining culturally important elements of a land-based traditional lifestyle. Here we use an eco-medicine perspective in which the impacts of climate change on health are divided into primary, secondary and tertiary effects, as discussed below. Many analyses of indigenous health in relation to climate change use the One Health concept

Exploring Indigenous Undergraduate Students’ Experiences within Urban and Institutional Food Environments

Indigenous Peoples within Canada experience higher rates of food insecurity, as do undergraduate students attending post-secondary institutions. Few studies have investigated the determinants of food practices and preferences for Indigenous students living away from their households and local environments. An exploratory study was designed to investigate Indigenous students’ experiences accessing local food environments. Research objectives included exploring Indigenous students’ experiences within institutional and community food settings; and examining campus- and community-based supports addressing their unique needs. Semi-structured interviews took place with eight self-identified Indigenous students. Four service providers participated in a focus group that included stakeholders from the post-secondary institution and the local community. Thematic analysis was used to categorize results into individual, interpersonal, organizational and community levels, according to the socio-ecological model. Themes based on the students’ responses included food and nutrition knowledge, financial capacity, convenience, social influences, campus food environment, cultural connections, and institutional support. Those participating in the focus group discussed the importance of social supports and connections to improve Indigenous students’ food environments beyond institutional parameters. Results suggest that Indigenous students are more aware of individual and interpersonal peer environments, with limited awareness of community services and cultural connections beyond campus. Indigenous students and community members require increased organizational and community awareness to support urban Indigenous food environments and sustainably address the range of socio-ecological conditions impacting food security

Caring in crisis: The experiences of local religious leaders meeting community food needs in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic

To respond to the unintended consequences of prevention measures to reduce COVID-1911 List of Abbreviations: COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019; ICM: International Care Ministries; LGU: Local Government Unit; NGO: Non-Governmental Organization; REDI: Rapid Emergencies and Disasters Intervention. transmission, individuals and groups, including religious leaders, have collaborated to provide care to those negatively impacted by these measures. Amid these various efforts and interventions, there is a need to deepen our understanding of diverse expressions of care across various geographical and social contexts. To address this need, the objective of this study was to investigate how religious leaders in the Philippines practiced care for their communities by meeting emergency food needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by an ethics of care theoretical orientation, we conducted 25 remote semi-structured interviews with Filipino religious leaders who partnered with a Philippines-based non-governmental organization (NGO) to mobilize essential food aid to their local communities. Through defining the efforts and activities of these religious leaders as care work, we found that religious leader experiences revolved around navigating care responsibilities, caring alongside others, and engaging holistically with the care work. Additionally, we observed how contextual factors such as the humanitarian settings where religious leaders worked, the partnership with an NGO, and the positionality of local religious leaders within their communities, fundamentally shaped the care work. This study expands our understanding of how care is practiced and experienced and also brings greater visibility to the experiences and efforts of local religious leaders in responding to humanitarian emergencies

Renewable Energy and Energy Autonomy: How Indigenous Peoples in Canada are Shaping an Energy Future.

In 2015, the Liberal Party of Canada formed a majority federal government on a platform that included prioritizing Nation-to-Nation relationships with Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and MĂŠtis) peoples in the country and re-asserting global leadership in climate change action by moving away from fossil fuel-based extraction and toward renewable energy initiatives. It may be argued that addressing both of these issues, advancing Indigenous-Settler reconciliation and mitigating climate change, can be done in the same space. Indeed, though Indigenous peoples in Canada and elsewhere have recently moved forward with renewable energy initiatives within their Territories, there has been very little critical analysis on just how such projects have been operationalized and whether renewable energy can or even should be considered a vehicle for reconciliation efforts. In this paper, we present a systematic review of Canadian literature (spanning 1980 to 2017) concerning Indigenous peoplesâ involvement in renewable energy in order to better understand the stated motivations and desires of Indigenous peoples in Canada taking leadership, partnering in, and/or participating in the renewable energy sector. Using a series of keyword search strings across three academic databases, two theses databases, and a grey literature search, we retrieved literature (n=980) that was subjected to four exclusionary forms, then thematically analyzed the included literature (n=26). Our findings suggest Indigenous peoplesâ experiences and motivations are varied, yet many are developing renewable energy in their Territories to break free of colonial ties and move towards energy autonomy, establish more reliable energy systems, and reap the long-term financial benefits that clean energy can provide. Despite the apparent advantages seen throughout most of the literature reviewed here, we suggest further research in this area is necessary before this kind of positive rhetoric of renewable energy in Indigenous communities builds enough momentum that proponents become blind to possible shortcomings. We conclude with a broader discussion of the interactions between Indigenous-Settler reconciliation in the context of renewable energy projects as well as offering indicators for future research to fill current knowledge gaps.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Implementing Indigenous Gender-Based Analysis in Research: Principles, Practices and Lessons Learned

Numerous tools for addressing gender inequality in governmental policies, programs, and research have emerged across the globe. Unfortunately, such tools have largely failed to account for the impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples’ lives and lands. In Canada, Indigenous organizations have advanced gender-based analysis frameworks that are culturally-grounded and situate the understanding of gender identities, roles, and responsibilities within and across diverse Indigenous contexts. However, there is limited guidance on how to integrate Indigenous gender-based frameworks in the context of research. The authors of this paper are participants of a multi-site research program investigating intersectoral spaces of Indigenous-led renewable energy development within Canada. Through introspective methods, we reflected on the implementation of gender considerations into our research team’s governance and research activities. We found three critical lessons: (1) embracing Two-Eyed Seeing or Etuaptmumk while making space for Indigenous leadership; (2) trusting the expertise that stems from the lived experiences and relationships of researchers and team members; and (3) shifting the emphasis from ‘gender-based analysis’ to ‘gender-based relationality’ in the implementation of gender-related research considerations. Our research findings provide a novel empirical example of the day-to-day principles and practices that may arise when implementing Indigenous gender-based analysis frameworks in the context of research

Children’s Oral Health Initiative: workers’ perspectives on its impact in First Nations communities

IntroductionSince 2004, the Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI) has been working in many First Nations and Inuit communities in Canada to address oral health disparities, specifically early childhood caries (ECC). The COHI community-based approach improves early childhood oral health (ECOH) by balancing prevention with minimally invasive dentistry. The goal is to reduce the burden of oral disease, mainly by minimizing the need for surgery. We investigated program success in First Nations communities in the province of Manitoba, from the perspective of COHI staff. MethodsFirst Nations community-based dental therapists and dental worker aides participated in three focus groups and an in-depth semistructured interview. The collected data were thematically analyzed. ResultsData from 22 participants yielded converging and practitioner-specific themes. Participants reported that dental therapists and dental worker aides provide access to basic oral care in their communities including oral health assessments, teeth cleaning, fluoride varnish applications and sealants. The participants agreed that education, information sharing and culturally appropriate parental engagement are crucial for continuous support and capacity building in the community programs. Low enrolment, difficulty accessing homes and getting consent, limited human resources as well as lack of educational opportunities for dental worker aides were identified challenges. ConclusionOverall, the participants reported that the COHI program positively contributes to ECOH in First Nations communities. However, increased community-based training for dental workers, community awareness about the program, and engagement of parents to facilitate culturally appropriate programming and consent processes are critical to improving program outcomes