The Commonwealth has signed a new agreement to train and employ more than 100 local staff in remote stores, as part of its commitment to building a dedicated Nutrition Workforce in remote First Nations communities.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency signed the agreement with the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation to lead the initiative, which will support local employment and help improve food security across remote Australia.

It follows federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy's comments to National Indigenous Times last month that she wanted to see 100 nutrition workers based in community stores to help customers make healthier food choices.

"They have to be based around food," she said at the time. "It's about awareness in language; making it understandable about what foods are healthy for you, what foods are not; what's the better choice."

ALPA Chairperson Mätjarra Garrawurra said it was a manymak (good) initiative bringing people together "for the health of our people".

"It [the ALPA Nutrition Policy] has been happening before," she said.

"This is making it stronger, creating djama (work) so people can focus on healthy ŋatha (food) because we've got a lot of sick people, and we are trying to encourage them to focus on healthy foods.

"It's a good thing for Yolŋu, doing djama and on-the-job training."

Under the initiative, Nutrition Workforce staff will be embedded in community stores to provide culturally appropriate health promotion and nutrition information in local languages. They will help customers interpret nutritional labels, improve store layouts, and run meal preparation demonstrations — all aimed at encouraging healthier purchasing and eating habits.

"We know Indigenous Australians in remote stores receiving advice from trusted people in a supportive and culturally appropriate environment are more likely to make healthier purchasing choices," Senator McCarthy said.

"Employing a local workforce to provide nutritional advice to people living in remote communities is a vital component of our food security program."

Special Envoy for Remote Communities and Member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour, said the government was "committed to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people in remote communities".

"Employing local people to deliver tailored advice in communities means a higher level of trust and a higher chance of long-term healthy habits being formed," she said.

She also pointed to the government's commitment to reduce the cost of 30 essential items — including fresh and canned produce, nappies and toilet paper — in remote stores.

"We are reducing the cost of 30 everyday essential items and with this new investment, we are ensuring that people in remote areas have the tools to make healthy choices for themselves," she said.

The positions will be filled by First Nations community members who will receive tailored training and ongoing support from qualified nutritionists. The first 21 roles will be rolled out this financial year, with the workforce expanding to 106 positions over the next two years.

Associate Professor Megan Ferguson from the University of Queensland's School of Public Health welcomed the investment.

"The impact of having a dedicated nutrition workforce supporting store efforts and government initiatives on the ground will be immense," she said.

"Leaders in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the health and retail organisations who support their efforts, have long called for a nutrition workforce. The First Nations Nutrition Workforce Initiative responds to this call and provides significant investment in employment and training in community."

Earlier this year, the federal government also launched a 10-year National Strategy on food security in remote First Nations communities and secured national agreement for a food pricing code.

The new workforce will begin work in ALPA stores across Galiwin'ku, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, Minjilang and Ramingining in the Northern Territory, as well as stores in Cape York, the Torres Strait and other community-run stores around the country.