Op Ed -Before We Buy Greenhouses, We Need a Plan

Why every NWT community should have an agricultural development plan before investing in controlled environment agriculture

By Janet Dean, Executive Director, Territorial Agrifood Association

There is a great deal of excitement surrounding controlled environment agriculture (CEA) right now—and rightly so.

With Prime Minister Mark Carney placing food security firmly on Canada's national agenda, communities across the country are looking for ways to produce more food closer to home. Here in the Northwest Territories, that conversation is gaining momentum as companies selling container farms, vertical farms, hydroponic systems, and advanced greenhouses reach out directly to communities with promises of year-round production and increased food security.

Some of these systems are impressive.

Some may be exactly what a community needs.

Some won't.

That may not be the most popular thing to say.

Food security is not something you can buy in a shipping container.

Across the North, we've seen a familiar pattern emerge over the years. A grant becomes available. A new technology captures everyone's attention. A community purchases equipment. There is excitement, ribbon cuttings, media coverage, and optimism.

Then reality arrives.

• Who is going to operate it every day?

• Who pays the power bill?

• Who maintains the equipment after the warranty expires?

• Who orders replacement parts?

• What happens when the trained operator moves away?

Technology is rarely what determines success.

People do.

Planning does.

Community ownership does.

We're asking the wrong first question.

Too often, the first question communities ask is:

"What greenhouse/hydroponic unit should we buy?"

The better question is:

"What kind of food system do we want to build?"

Those are very different conversations.

A community trying to improve access to fresh vegetables may need something entirely different from a community focused on creating local employment, supporting entrepreneurs, supplying a grocery store, reducing freight costs, or strengthening traditional food knowledge.

One solution cannot solve every challenge.

Nor should we expect it to.

Here's the controversial part.

I don't think every community needs a sophisticated greenhouse.

I think every community needs an agricultural plan.

That's a very different investment.

An agricultural development plan asks questions that no greenhouse salesperson can answer.

• What food is already being produced?

• What traditional harvesting strengths already exist?

• Where are the biggest gaps?

• What crops could realistically be grown outdoors?

• Could season extension be enough?

• Are there opportunities for berry production, mushrooms, poultry, beekeeping, composting, seed saving, or local processing?

• Is there enough local demand to support commercial production?

• Who are the champions willing to make it succeed?

Only after answering those questions should a community begin deciding what infrastructure it needs.

Not the other way around.

Controlled environment agriculture is a tool—not a strategy.

The current spotlight on CEA risks creating the impression that food security begins with technology.

It doesn't.

Food security begins with people.

With relationships.

With knowledge.

With land.

With community priorities.

Controlled environment agriculture can absolutely play an important role. It can provide fresh produce year-round, create educational opportunities, support local businesses, and strengthen resilience.

But it should fit into a broader strategy—not become the strategy itself.

In many communities, the right answer might be a greenhouse.

In others, it might be high tunnels, expanded community gardens, better composting, food preservation, berry development, commercial field production, or supporting existing growers.

Sometimes the most effective investment isn't a new greenhouse at all—it's hiring someone to coordinate local food production.

There is no Northern blueprint.

One of the greatest mistakes we can make is assuming every Northern community should look the same.

They shouldn't.

The Northwest Territories spans multiple climate zones, cultures, transportation realities, energy systems, and economic opportunities.

What works in Hay River will likely not work in Sachs Harbour.

What succeeds in Fort Smith will struggle in Norman Wells.

\The strength of the North has always been its diversity.

Our agricultural planning should reflect that.

Let's use this moment wisely.

The national conversation around food security has created an opportunity that we haven't seen in decades.

Let's not waste it by rushing toward the newest technology simply because funding is available.

Instead, let's invest first in understanding our communities, identifying our strengths, and building food systems that reflect local realities.

Because a greenhouse, no matter how advanced, cannot create food security on its own.

A community can.

And every resilient food system begins with a plan.

The Territorial Agrifood Association encourages every Northwest Territories community to develop a community agricultural development plan before making major investments in food production infrastructure. We are committed to providing independent, evidence-based advice to help communities make informed decisions that reflect their unique goals, capacities, and opportunities.