Understanding Food Security in the Arctic is the second edition of our Arctic Infrastructure Deconstructed webinar series.
This session explores how infrastructure shapes food security across Arctic communities, focusing on transportation networks, supply chains, storage capacity, and the high costs and logistical barriers that affect reliable access to food. We will discuss how communities, governments, and industry partners are working together to address these challenges and develop practical, northern-led solutions.
Drawing perspectives from across the Arctic region, the webinar highlights both regional realities and shared challenges related to food access, resilience, and infrastructure gaps.
Join us online to learn how collaboration among stakeholders are influencing food security in the North. This webinar is ideal for anyone interested in Arctic development, community resilience, infrastructure policy, and sustainable food systems.
Speakers:
· Dr. Michael Jones – Research Assistant Professor of EconomicsInstitute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Alaska – Anchorage, United States
Dr. Michael Jones is an applied economist primarily focused on food systems, food security, and the impacts of transportation, infrastructure, and supply chain performance on economic development. His research involves extensive interdisciplinary collaboration across many natural and social science fields to examine complex effects on markets, the environment, and society. He also maintains active collaborations across the public and private sectors in autonomous aviation and the broader Alaskan aviation industry.
Mike Jones received a PhD in Economics from North Carolina State University and an MS in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. Prior to joining ISER, his work focused on agricultural technology adoption, value chain dynamics, and rural development in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
· Tiff-Annie Kenny – assistant professor in the Faculté de médecine at Université de Montréal – Montreal, Canada
Tiff-Annie Kenny is an assistant professor in the Faculté de médecine at Université de Montréal. Her research takes a transdisciplinary approach to examining the complex interplay between social and ecological determinants of health. Over the past decade, she has had the privilege of collaborating with Indigenous communities in northern and coastal Canada on food security research to support locally driven solutions.
· Celina Wolki – Researcher, Community Leader, and Regional Coordinator Inuvialuit Regional Corporation –Paulatuk, Canada
Celina works for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), an organization dedicated to improving the economic, social, and cultural well-being of the Inuvialuit people. A community leader, she began her work in 2014 as a Nutrition North Canada healthy cooking instructor through the federally funded Nutrition North Canada program. In this role, she supported community members in building practical skills for healthy and affordable eating. She also worked as a data collection researcher focused on food costing, gathering information from local stores, organizations, and private businesses to better understand food access and affordability in her region.
In 2019, Celina expanded her impact by taking on a leadership role as a regional coordinator and research lead for Community Capacity for Climate Change and Food Security (C4FS) and Canada North, while continuing her work with Nutrition North. Her work across these initiatives focuses on food security in the North, including collecting data on food costs and sources, and supporting community members with budgeting and strategies to make food resources last longer.
Celina’s approach to food sustainability is rooted in community strength and collaboration. She emphasizes that food security depends on people working together—whether through programs that provide food, organizations that support access, or local harvesters who share traditional knowledge and resources. She is deeply committed to strengthening food sovereignty by helping community members learn how to harvest, share, and manage food effectively, ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience in Inuvialuit communities.
Moderator:
· Heli Kukkurainen – Doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu – Oulu, Finland
Heli Kukkurainen is a doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu whose work focuses on the links between food systems, climate change, and public health. Her research examines how dietary patterns relate to environmental sustainability and health outcomes. She has also conducted research on food security and climate-related challenges affecting Sámi communities in northern Finland.
