Why did fur trapping increase the use of flour, sugar, and other purchased foods?

The increase in the use of purchased food items, such as flour and sugar, among American Subarctic peoples was primarily a consequence of the fur trade.1

As European fur traders recognized the region's potential for producing dense pelts, many Indigenous peoples shifted their focus toward trapping. This transition significantly impacted traditional economies because the time and labor required for trapping could not be simultaneously dedicated to direct subsistence activities, such as hunting and gathering. Consequently, these purchased staples were increasingly substituted for wild fare.1

Additionally, the fur trade period introduced the use of dog teams for transporting furs to market. Because these teams required large quantities of meat, they were not traditionally kept; their adoption necessitated further supplementation of diets with European store-bought goods. Despite these pressures to shift toward a reliance on outside capital and purchased foods, many traditional customs and hunting practices have persisted due to the relative isolation of the region.21