The Walmart Foundation and First Nations Development Institute have joined forces to assist in developing or expanding locally based food systems in several Native American communities. The partnership comes naturally. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation generously support initiatives that help people live better, giving hundreds of millions of dollars each year in cash and in-kind gifts, such as donating 257 million pounds of nutritious food to local food banks across America from February 1, 2010, through January 31, 2011. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

First Nations, for more than 30 years, has been dedicated to strengthening Native American economies. This includes a long-time focus on food issues through the Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI).  First Nations supports tribes and Native communities as they strengthen food systems in their communities, improve health and nutrition and build food security. First Nations increases the control over Native agriculture and food systems by providing financial and technical support, including training materials, to projects that address the agriculture and food sectors in Native communities.

In April 2012, First Nations, with generous funding from the Walmart Foundation, awarded nine grants totaling $300,000 to assist in developing or expanding locally controlled and locally based food systems in Native American communities. The grants will help address the critical issues of food security, family economic security, and health and nutrition, along with promoting American Indian business entrepreneurship. These NAFSI projects are expected to positively influence much of the populations of nine separate tribal nations located in seven states, along with other Native nations that are not directly involved