Current
INITIATIVES
Agricultural development and the development of the NWT agri-food system is critically important. The TAA takes a whole of system approach and develops and delivers projects and initiatives annually through collaboration and partnerships, stakeholder engagement and resilience and a social justice lens while recognizing that economic viability is an essential underpinning.
The Territorial Agrifood Association believes that making agriculture work in the NWT must be a central component of policy approaches to food insecurity reduction, poverty reduction and increasing economic growth. We recognize movement towards NWT food sovereignty needs to be.a priority at all levels.
2026/2027 Food Security and Sovereignty Activities
The Territorial Agrifood Association's 2026–2027 initiatives focus on building a stronger, more resilient northern food system by increasing the Northwest Territories' capacity to grow, process, distribute, and celebrate local food. Rather than viewing food security solely as improving access to food, TAA's approach recognizes that lasting food security depends on developing a vibrant local agrifood economy that creates businesses, employment, skills, and infrastructure while advancing food sovereignty through community leadership and Indigenous partnerships.
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Key initiatives include:
Building Local Food Production
Supporting farmers, market gardeners, community gardens, controlled environment agriculture, and new entrants to increase year-round local food production while improving climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
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Strengthening Food Entrepreneurship
Providing business development support, mentorship, training, and market access opportunities for growers, processors, and food entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on small-scale and community-based enterprises.
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Expanding Food Processing Capacity
Developing shared-use commercial food processing infrastructure, training, and value-added product development opportunities to help northern producers transform raw products into higher-value foods and reduce dependence on imported processed products. TAA is advancing a shared commercial kitchen as part of this effort.
Supporting Indigenous Food Systems
Working collaboratively with Indigenous governments, organizations, and knowledge holders to support Indigenous food sovereignty, land-based food systems, traditional knowledge, and Indigenous food entrepreneurship while respecting community priorities and governance.
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Research and Innovation
Through the Future Harvest Partnership and the Sustainable Food Systems for Canadians initiatives, TAA is leading and participating in research on northern agriculture, soil health, climate adaptation, agrifood innovation, entrepreneurship, and evidence-based policy to support long-term sector growth.
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Building Skills and Knowledge
Delivering conferences, workshops, webinars, educational resources, farmer-led research, youth programming, and micro-credential development to build the knowledge and skills needed for a successful northern agrifood sector. The annual GROW NWT conference continues to serve as a key knowledge-sharing event through 2027.
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Developing Markets for Northern Food
Expanding opportunities for local producers through culinary tourism, agritourism, institutional procurement, public education, retail initiatives, and events that connect consumers with NWT-made, grown, harvested, and processed foods.
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Promoting Collaboration Across the Food System
Acting as a territorial hub that connects producers, Indigenous organizations, governments, researchers, educators, communities, and industry partners to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and strengthen the overall northern food ecosystem.
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Measuring Long-Term Impact
Developing baseline data, performance indicators, and applied research to better understand the economic, environmental, and social impacts of local food production. This work will support evidence-based decision-making and demonstrate the contribution of agriculture and food entrepreneurship to food security, economic diversification, and community resilience.
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Through these initiatives, the Territorial Agrifood Association aims to increase the availability of locally produced food, strengthen northern food businesses, support Indigenous and community-led food systems, reduce reliance on imported foods where practical, and build a resilient agrifood sector that contributes to both food security and food sovereignty across the Northwest Territories.
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Food security & sovereignty
​Sector development
Our whole of sector approach considers the relationships between businesses, government policies, regulations, infrastructure, workforce, and other factors that influence the overall performance and growth of the NWT food sector. The TAA's goal is to help create opportunities for improvement, address bottlenecks, and implement targeted interventions to drive sustainable development and growth.
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2026/27 Funded Activities of the Territorial Agrifood Association
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Year 2 of a 5 year National Sustainable Futures for Canadians Agrifood Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project
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Year 2 of a 4 year Future Harvest Partnership with GNWT-ITI and Wilfrid Laurier University
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2027 Culinary Festival (City of YK and private sponsors)
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2027 GROW NWT conference (Can Nor and FHP)
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Additional activities include the support of small farmers/growers and food processors, a seed saving project, national outreach, educational resource development and serving as NWT agrifood consultants and advisors.
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We receive no government funding for operations or SCAP funds.
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2025/26 Funded Activities of the Territorial Agrifood Association
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5 year National Sustainable Futures for Canadians Agrifood Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project
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5 year Future Harvest Partnership with GNWT-ITI and Wilfrid Laurier University
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2025 Culinary Festival (Can Nor and City of YK)
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2026 GROW NWT conference (Can Nor)
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Additional activities include the support of small farmers/growers and food processors, a seed saving project, national outreach, educational resource development and maintenance, agriculture in schools programming, participation in external research and serving as NWT agrifood consultants and advisors.
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We receive no government funding for operations and no SCAP funding..
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2024/25 Funded Activities of the Territorial Agrifood Association
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Delivered webinars, free to sector participants on business start-up and growth strategies and other topics specific to the NWT as requested.
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Offered training on starting a food business/farm in the NWT.
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Established/worked with training partners to begin establishing a NWT Agri-food Micro Credential program .
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Held an Agri-food Conference in February.
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Held an NWT Food Festival in July.
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Released new sector informational publications/resources.
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Worked with existing national and territorial education partners and develop new partnerships.
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Collected reports from in territory researchers and shared.
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Collaborated with other related organizations and individuals to promote Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month (CALM), Earth Week, World Agriculture Day, Canadian Food Day, and World Soil Day.
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Promoted NWT growers and producers to the public.
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Participated in relevant/curated national organizations and agri-food groups.
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Took a leadership role in coordinating, liaising and information sharing with food and food adjacent programs, people and initiatives in the NWT.
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Maintained an Agri-food Discovery Centre in Yellowknife for public education and training and food tourism support.
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Promoted individual farmers and food producers.
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Hosted visiting dignitaries.
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Supported in territory activities of researchers, partners and supporters.
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Provided business start-up and growth advising to NWT Agrifood businesses as requested.
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Advocated and act as a liaison on behalf of sector participants with government and regulatory systems.
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Wrote TAA policy positions and advocacy statements related to the NWT Agrifood sector
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Participated in recruiting new sector entrants.
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Worked with new entrants to navigate the sector.
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Worked with GNWT staff to promote the sector in the NWT and across Canada and the Circumpolar context.
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Assisted with market penetration for NWT food growers and producers.
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Delivered accelerator programming (including mentoring) for NWT food businesses.
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Introduced Venture Capital Investment training for appropriate businesses and specific support for female led Northern food businesses ready for Venture Capital investment.
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Provided contracted project management services.
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Provided contracted agricultural planning services.
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The TAA's SOCIAL ENTERPRISE:
TASTES of the NORTH
Tastes of the North is a unique retail space featuring NWT made, grown, harvested, and processed food and food related products. Tastes of the North is a social enterprise of the not for profit Territorial Agri-food Association(TAA) and as such does not access any government funding or grants received by the TAA. Any revenue generated by Tastes of the North covers their own operating costs and services and supports for vendors.
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