CBU Professor Awarded Funding for Research on Cape Breton Food Insecurity

Assistant Professor in Community Studies Dr. Leigh Potvin has been awarded $25,000 in funding for her research project, “Storying food landscapes in Cape Breton: a community photovoice project.” The funding, a Partnership Engage Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), will aid in the collection of data concerning food insecurity in Unama’ki/Cape Breton.
“Household food insecurity rates in Cape Breton are amongst the highest in the country and are the highest in the Maritimes,” says Dr. Potvin. “Because there is little research specific to Cape Breton and even less research that is qualitative in nature, the people who live here and their experiences are largely undocumented.”
Dr. Potvin’s current project stems from a partnership with Dr. Terry Gibbs, Dr. Erna Macleod and the Island Food Network. Together, the team will perform this important research with a particular focus on experiences of household food insecurity.
This coming fall, Dr. Potvin will capture food stories of those who live in Cape Breton through data collection occurring in conjunction with a series of Community Food Conversations hosted by the Island Food Network. The goal is to work towards establishing a shared food vision and charter for Cape Breton, something that will impact the island significantly.
Dr. Potvin is extremely passionate about bringing change to the food insecurity issues on the Island, and says, “There is important momentum island-wide when it comes to food, so the research is timely and necessary in order to capture the stories of individuals and families here in Cape Breton.”
For more information, contact Dr. Leigh Potvin at leigh_potvin@cbu.ca
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