8 Party platforms at a glance


BC LIBERALS • increase export of agrifood and seafood products by 25% by 2020 • increase domestic purchases of agrifood and seafood products by $2.3 billion by 2020


• ensure an additional 91,000 hectares of agricultural land is in production by 2020 • provide a further $5 million to the BC tree fruit industry for a replant program in the Okanagan Valley


• encourage British Columbians to grow and buy locally grown food by doubling the ‘Grow Local’ program and make it permanent, and by increasing the ‘Buy Local’ program by $1 million starting in 2019 • help small meat producers gain access to processing facilities • ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in BC to protect honeybee populations • support the construction of a new ‘Agriplex’ in Comox with $5 million


BC NDP Grow BC


• revitalize the ALR and the ALC • focus on helping young farmers access land • work with producers to ensure bee populations stay healthy • support fruit and nut growers and processors Feed BC


• grow domestic market demand by expanding the use of BC food products in hospitals, care facilities and other government facilities Buy BC


• bring back an enhanced provincial marketing program to help local producers promote locally and for export BC Innovation Centre


• develop an innovation centre to link local food processors with new technology and expand access to world markets Expand markets for vintners, brewers and craft distillers • establish an advisory panel to guide expansion of domestic sales • expand market access in the rest of Canada and abroad. • develop and offer programs in wine education, viticulture and beverage management


BC GREENS


• $30 million to enhance the long-term viability of the agricultural sector so that it can deliver an increasing proportion of the food BC consumes for generations to come


• new legislation to enhance the protection of agricultural land and increase the proportion of ALR land used for agriculture • $40 million to fund research and establish regional agricultural bureaus to help farmers adapt to climate change • explore options to enhance access to land for farming • work to address labour shortages in agriculture


ELECTION promises


agriculture in BC and vote against the TPP.” The BC Greens take the


focus even further from the international stage to focus on supporting small, local agriculture to build a more resilient food system. “When you look at global


food systems, you begin to realize how tenuous the food system is, especially when looking at global climate change and it's impact on the areas that grow our food,” says Kim Charlesworth (Nelson- Creston), the Greens’ lead on agriculture and the only one of the three candidates who doesn't sit in the legislature. “It makes sense to build resiliency in BC around that. Let’s actually focus on supporting agriculture to become the backbone of rural economic development.” Their platform pledges $30 million to expand food production to increase food security in BC, including incentives to produce food on ALR land, establishing agricultural apprenticeship programs and increasing awareness of BC produce and products for BC consumers. The Liberals are committing


increased productivity on agricultural land by bringing 91,000 hectares of land into production. Some of that land will likely be accounted for by part of the $5 million pledged to the BC Tree Fruit industry for a replant program in the Okanagan Valley. The NDP’s land use strategy falls under the banner of Grow BC. The party pledges to revitalize the Agricultural Land


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Commission and return it to a one-zone system with a single provincial panel, dismantling the six-region system the Liberals implemented. The Greens promise new


legislation to limit speculation on agricultural land as well as cracking down on non- agricultural uses. There are points that give


parts of the industry pause in each platform: The Liberal’s commitment to ban neonicotinoids to protect pollinators has raised concerns in some parts of the industry, though Letnick says they will only act if Health Canada changes its requirements. The NDP’s commitment to raise the carbon tax from $30 to $50 per tonne has raised some eyebrows, but Popham says the NDP is aware of the needs of the farming community and will maintain current exemptions for agricultural users. That takes some of the pinch out of the increase, though it can still be expected to increase input costs.


The Greens’ “Right to Roam”


Act, allowing the public to cross private land to access public lands, rivers, streams and lakes, is causing consternation among some landowners. Livestock owners have expressed concern about farm animal safety and biosecurity risks. There are also shiny promises: The NDP have made a new


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BC Food Innovation Centre part of its plan to grow agriculture, particularly the processing sector. “BC is one of the only


provinces that doesn't have a food innovation centre,” says Popham, who estimates that it would take a $20 million investment to get the centre off the ground. “This really focuses on jobs.


Food processing and the technology that gets developed around food


processing in other provinces is a real economic generator, but for some reason we send everyone out of BC to go and figure out how they should make their product.” The Liberals have committed $5 million to building a new ‘Agriplex’ in Comox. The event centre would be the largest multi- purpose venue north of Nanaimo. The Greens have


committed an ambitious $40 million to fund research and establish regional agricultural bureaus to support local farmers to adapt to climate change. Whoever forms the next


government will sign off on the next federal-provincial- territorial agriculture framework agreement. With much of the work already done on consultations and setting priorities, it will be up to the next government to close the deal.


While the NDP have not been at the negotiating table, Lana Popham says it is committed to making sure no money is left on the table. In addition, the NDP will strengthen the linkages and potential funding from other ministries like health and emergency preparedness. According to Letnick, the


strength of the BC economy under the Liberals has put BC in a strong position at the negotiating table and they will be willing to step up provincial funding to meet any federal increase in investment. “BC is there with full commitment to match whatever federal government dollars come to the new framework,” he says. “I have the green light to increase our contribution to the new framework if the federal government increases theirs. The agriculture sector can count on a BC Liberal government to meet that commitment.”


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