BSC2009 – Sustainability Trends in Primary Agriculture – Steve Thompson

Steve Thompson from the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) speaks from a position of representing 12,000 producers and 90% of farm cash receipts in BC. BCAC aims for a collective set of policies that represent organic, non-organic, large, small producers to assist in provincial agricultural sustainability.

Agriculture needs to be a solution provider to sustainability, here are some of the recent trends in sustainability in BC agriculture:

Economics

Net farm incomes have declined
the introduction of the carbon tax ($9.6M in 2008)
input costs of fuel, fertilizer, feed
public spending on ag is not keeping up with costs
Profit – how do we ensure there is a potential for strong economic returns?
- Farmer empowerment
- co-operative marketing systems
- direct farm marketing
- farmer’s markets
- value added production
- utilization of by-products
- investment in research

Environmental Trends

Access to land and water
- Tax structure
- water policies that recognize agriculture as a priority user
- Land Conservancy
ag, urban and wildlife interface
Environmental Farm Planning – BMPs
Utilize By-products
Climate Change
- Action Initiative
- Alt Energy -
  - Cogeneration
  - Biomass
  - Biofuel
- Energy Crop Production

Social Trends

Animal Care
- Farm Animal care council being formed
- work to proactively and collectively increase awareness
Food safety and traceability
Ag awareness and education
- buy local
- branding BC products
- ag in the classroom
Aging farmers – succession planning?