‘Traditional foodways’ refers to the deeply interconnected cultural, social and economic practices surrounding how a community produces, gathers, preserves, shares and consumes food. For Indigenous communities, these practices rely on unique food systems shaped by the land, making them inseparable from data sovereignty and self-determination. Today, these traditional foodways face new complexities as modern genomic technologies create new possibilities for food production. Consider the marketplace growth of engineered plant-based proteins, or the emergence of cellular agriculture capable of growing cultivated salmon fillets directly from cells. These scientific innovations raise crucial questions regarding the impact on traditional foodways.
Genome BC’s Societal Issues Program funds stand-alone, interdisciplinary research exploring the social, legal, ethical and economic implications of genomic innovations. In a recent project under that program, University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) researchers Drs. Stefania Pizzirani and Lenore Newman explored how genomic technologies and traditional foodways intersect in today’s modern food production systems.
Genome BC understands that standard engagement models are structurally insufficient when collaborating with Indigenous communities. True partnership cannot be rushed, nor can it be transactional. By partnering with the Stó:lō Community Advisory Council, this project used a Circle of Engagement framework that focuses on building trust through continuous dialogue and consensus. This model allowed the team to slowly cultivate deep community roots and widen the project network over time. Through iterative development and refinement, a final framework emerged where community voices actively directed the research trajectory.
The Model in Action: Navigating Complex Technoscientific Landscapes
As part of the Circle of Engagement approach, the project hosted a series of immersive knowledge exchanges and on-site learning sessions. These dialogues brought together university researchers, Stó:lō Elders, Knowledge Holders and industry partners to navigate the complex societal and cultural implications of emerging agri-genomic technologies.
Rather than discussing innovation in the abstract, the team used the engagement model to ground discussions in specific, disruptive technologies that could challenge or alter traditional foodways. The knowledge exchanges focused on five key areas:
- Enhancing Climate Resiliency in Berries: Exploring genomic applications to protect and sustain culturally significant plant species against environmental pressures.
- Societal Implications of Cellular Agriculture and Aquaculture: Navigating the profound cultural, ethical and relational impacts of lab-grown food systems, like cellular salmon, on Indigenous sovereignty, lands and waters.
- Vertical Agriculture: Assessing the implications of controlled-environment agriculture on land connection, localized food production and traditional foodways.
- Alternative Proteins: Evaluating the introduction of novel food technologies through the lens of long-term ecosystem health and traditional sustenance practices.
- Predicting the Risks and Benefits of Food Systems Transitions with Modelling: Utilizing predictive tools to evaluate the long-term impacts of technological shifts on community food security and traditional territories before implementation.
The core mission was to interpret what concepts like Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), Indigenous data sovereignty and cultural safety actually look like in practice when applied to these highly sensitive technical dialogues.
The Toolkit: A Guide for Future Research Governance
To share this model of ethical engagement with the broader scientific community, the project team developed the Í:westel qe tótel:exwtel (Teaching Each Other and Learning Together) Toolkit.
Designed as a living workbook, the toolkit documents their process of holding ethical dialogues regarding science, technology and innovation. It serves to support the enactment of ethical principles in ways that actively recognize Stó:lō traditional teachings, honor cultural protocols and support language revitalization by weaving in the Halq’eméylem language. Crucially, the resource grounds its framework within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action and the Lower Fraser Fishing Authority’s RELAW document.
Key lessons for the Research Community:
- Co-Production is the Foundation: Aligning innovation and technology with Indigenous sovereignty must begin with genuine cross-cultural collaboration, where the community holds equal authority in shaping and guiding the research agenda
- Cultivating Safe Spaces for Complex Dialogue: Safely evaluating disruptive technologies like cellular agriculture and aquaculture requires an authentic respect for Indigenous protocols and data sovereignty, ensuring community knowledge is protected.
- Absorbing the Institutional Burden: Non-Indigenous interest holders and institutions must willingly absorb the temporal and financial costs of respectful engagement, co-creating spaces where cultural traditions, language and protocols are respected
Hear the Story from the Project Team
At the conclusion of the project, Genome BC hosted a webinar where the research team discussed their collaborative journey and the implementation of the toolkit. The recorded session features Dr. Angela McIntyre, Teresa Carlson, and Dr. Stefania Pizzirani.
Whether you are a genomic researcher looking for the first step toward meaningful community engagement, a policymaker seeking collaborative governance models or an advocate for Indigenous data sovereignty, this discussion offers invaluable and actionable insights. By moving away from transactional models and embracing continuous dialogue, the scientific community can foster true partnerships that respect traditional foodways while navigating the future of food innovation.
