News release
BACKGROUNDER
Accelerating Environmental Farm Planning in Canada
CONTEXT
In June of last year, Ministers of Agriculture agreed to work towards a comprehensive plan for accelerated environmental action, fully covering all Canadian farms, that will help achieve measurable and meaningful environmental goals in the areas of water, air, soil and biodiversity. In the Budget Speech of December 2001, the Government confirmed that it will provide the federal share of the long-term, predictable funding to move the sector beyond crisis management and make it more profitable and prosperous.
The federal government is working hard with its provincial counterparts and producers, to reach a common understanding of how this commitment will be reflected and implemented. This understanding includes a nationally consistent approach to Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs) across Canada. The commitment of $100 million in federal funding covers four fiscal years starting in 2003 and will help the sector accelerate and implement farm planning efforts expected under the Agricultural Policy Framework. It will allow farmers and Canadians to reap environmental benefits and help minimize the cost to farmers of doing EFPs and of taking corrective action.
The latest discussions between the federal government and the provinces point to one possible approach to doing this: nationally consistent farm planning that would begin with completing a Basic Environmental Scan on all farms in Canada. It would identify farms and regions that require corrective action. The Basic Environmental Scan would involve a preliminary examination of key agricultural factors that may pose risks to, or provide benefits for, the air, soil, water, and biodiversity.
As a second step, farms for which the scan points to the need for significant corrective action, would either complete an Environmental Farm Plan or an Equivalent Environmental Plan (regional plan). (See the definitions of each in the last page of this backgrounder.)
This approach would promote environmental awareness among farmers. It would also help them assess and mitigate the environmental risks and benefits of agricultural operations. And, it would encourage the adoption of environmentally beneficial practices through better management of nutrients, pests, land and water, and biodiversity.
A nationally consistent approach is important because it lays the foundation for branding Canadian agricultural goods and services as environmentally-friendly products, providing farmers with a strong tool to secure world markets.
BACKGROUND
The Government of Canada, the provinces and producer groups have supported improved environmental practices on farms through a range of programs. Since the early 1990s this has included environmental farm planning programs (EFPs). An EFP enables farmers to identify environmental concerns about their operations and allows them to set realistic goals to improve environmental performance on their farms.
About eight per cent of all farms have some kind of on-farm environmental planning. Some provinces, like Ontario, have fully operational EFP programs. Others, like Alberta, are currently testing them. Most provinces have identified the need to develop their programs further by, for example, long-term financial support, access to technical expertise, or better monitoring of results.
Ontario, Alberta, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have chosen an approach to EFP where farmers attend an information workshop, conduct a self-assessment of their farming operations using a workbook, and complete an action plan. Nova Scotia developed an approach to EFP where an EFP program coordinator and an agricultural engineer visit the farm to help the farmer identify risks and develop an action plan. Québec also has a different approach. Farmers belong to an advisory club (Club Conseil) where they discuss environmental issues and have access to an agronomist who advises them on improving farm environmental management.
Participating farmers say EFPs increase their environmental awareness and knowledge, show them more environmentally responsible farming practices, help them identify environmental risks and give them better access to more information and expertise. While difficult to measure, EFPs have led to on-farm improvements and change in practices that help reduce the negative impact of farming on the environment.
EFP can also bring benefits to farmers like funds for new activities or modifying current practices, advisory services or to technical support and marketing advantages. Many also see the EFP as a way to demonstrate environmental stewardship to Canadians and enhance the reputation of the agricultural sector.
The concept of using EFPs is accepted nationally. Nearly all current participants in EFP programs want to continue their involvement and would like to see them further reinforced financially. Most support actions like making EFPs more effective by providing public funds as an incentive for adopting new practices.
DEFINITIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING USED IN THE APF
Environmental Farm Plan (EFP): A tool used to systematically and comprehensively identify all actual and potential environmental risks and benefits from agricultural operations, and to develop a plan of action to mitigate priority risks and realize benefits. Includes independent review and documentation covering progress and data on implementation.
Basic Agri-environmental Scan: A Basic Environmental Scan means a tool used to identify those farms requiring corrective environmental action, based on a preliminary examination of key agricultural factors that may pose environmental risks or provide benefits to air, soil, water, and biodiversity.
Additional work is needed to define this concept and develop appropriate tools. However, a Basic Scan may constitute the initial step (risk assessment) of an EFP, or be undertaken through other tools, such as environmental scanning tools used by some banks to determine whether a farm is at risk of environmental liability.
Equivalent Environmental Plan (regional plan): An Equivalent Environmental Plan means a tool that has similar characteristics to an environmental farm plan, implemented by an organized group of producers on a multi-farm basis over a specified geographic area, such as a watershed or other ecological area.
Examples may include "Club Conseils" in Quebec, or watershed management projects which involve coordinated actions by farmers to address environmental concerns.
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