Agriculture and Soil Conservation -- (Protection of)

 

In addition to producing food for our bodies, farmers can provide important ecological services.  Farms, for example, can provide vast green spaces, wildlife habitat, grassland protection, floodplain management, and urban containment.  Farms are often home to the only streams in urban areas that have not been buried by development.

Often, however, farmers are financially penalized instead of rewarded for providing these services.  Many sustainable farming practices increase costs, and higher costs make farms uncompetitive.  As a result, unsustainable practices flourish and pose a direct threat to the environment (see Guide page on Agriculture -- (Protection Against)).

BC is blessed with a considerable amount of fertile agricultural soil that could provide the basis for sustainable agriculture in the province.  Much of this land is reserved for farming under the Agricultural Land Commission Act, which prevents land which is designated for agriculture from being used for purposes that are inconsistent with future agricultural use.   Soil conservation is also regulated under this Act.

Living near a farm can be inconvenient – noise and smells are expected.  To protect farmers engaged in ‘normal farm practices’ from some potential lawsuits in nuisance, the BC government has enacted the Farm Practices Protection Act. 

Both the federal and provincial governments have programmes to encourage environmentally sound planning of farm practices.  Generally farmers need to voluntarily “opt-in” to these programmes, but they can be a useful tool.  

Related Guide Pages:

·         Agriculture (Protection Against)

·         Agri-Environmental Farm Plans (federal)

·         Provincial Agricultural Plans

 

For more information about Agriculture and Soil Conservation, see:

·         Growing Green website

·         Agricultural Land Reserve Commission

·         Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries