Different classes of reserved agricultural land do not address the fact that land may be productive in many ways other than intensive agriculture. Much land can be used for grazing that may not be farmed for grain and hillsides carefully tended can produce food crops in many ways. BC is not unique in its' rock and mountainous terrain and is fortunate to still have large areas of potentially productive land. In many parts of the world, areas considered marginally agricultural here, may indeed be considered much more valuable partly because they have to produce food. Only 2.7% of B.C’s land base was the figure given at the Conservation Forum as land which is considered agricultural. This small percentage would include the most productive and valued land.
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| A steep and terraced hillside producing food in Italy |
It is shameful that local farmers struggle to make a living on these best classes of our agricultural land when we are so fortunate to even have a local food supply. It is also questionable as to whether it is wise to remove the most productive land from the Agricultural Land Reserve for purposes other than agriculture. This very debate is happening in the Baynes Lake area as was reported in the Townsman Thursday June2nd
http://www.dailytownsman.com/article/20110602/CRANBROOK0101/306029995/-1/cranbrook01/baynes-lake-debates-future-development
It can be and is argued that large corporations which demand the lowest price for large quantities of food do not serve the future of the world’s food supply, the farmers and the consuming public, well. Reasons are many but if an economy, which depends partly on food production is to remain safe and stable and the land is to remain in food production our farmers must be paid appropriately.
With the imminent opening of our local farmer’s market, it is a great time to think about supporting our local farmers.
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