Agri-environmental Farm Plans

An important programme of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) encourages farmers to take the environment into account in their operations by developing “Agri-environmental Farm Plans” (EFP).  Agri-environmental Farm Plans are developed by farmers – not by the federal government.  Less than 10 per cent of B.C. farms currently have EFPs in place, although the provincial government is hoping to increase that number over the coming years. 

Farmers who choose to participate in the programme receive materials and support from the federal and provincial governments to develop a plan.  The EFP process has the farmer identify actual and potential environmental risks, as well as the benefits, of farm operations, and then outlines actions to address the risks and enhance the benefits.  This allows farms to set priorities to environmental concerns.

The government’s stated objectives for the “National Agri-Environmental Farm Planning initiative” are to:

·         Establish principles of environmental action;

·         Achieve measurable progress in meeting environmental goals for the landscape;

·         Reinforce public confidence that Canadian agricultural resources are being managed in a sustainable fashion;

·         Brand Canada as a source of safe, high quality food produced using environmentally sustainable systems; and

·         Support producers and land owners in taking actions that reduce the risk to the environment from agricultural operations. 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has promised to provide funding to farmer to allow them to implement EFP plans in areas across the country with the highest environmental risks.  The provinces are also expected to put some money towards this programme. 

There is no legislation requiring or mandating EFP.  The program is being administered through two federal-provincial agreements:

·         Agricultural Policy Framework Agreement (which most provinces are a party to), and

·         Provincial implementation agreements signed by each province that set out how the programme will be delivered (in BC the program is being implemented by the BC Agriculture Council; AAFC does not directly administer the EFP program).

Related Guide Pages:

·         Agriculture (Protection of)

·         Agriculture (Protection Against)

·         Provincial Agricultural Plans

For more information about Environmental Farm Plans:

·         Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Online

·         BC Agriculture Council website

·         Canadian Federation of Agriculture website

·         Farmfolk/Cityfolk – An organization working for sustainable agriculture.