Conversations That Matter: Can farming survive government?
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Farming is a risky business and it’s even riskier when bad government policies undermine good farming and agricultural practices.
“I can deal with a bad year, a bad crop and even Mother Nature,” says farmer Kristjan Hebert, “but I can’t insure against bad policy.”
He is speaking to the federal government’s plan to cut back on the amount of nitrogen Canada emits by using fertilizers.
That plan calls for a 30 per cent reduction in emissions from fertilizers, a plan that farmers warn will result in a dramatic reduction in food production coupled with a dramatic increase in the cost of food.
“Villanizing farmers is counterproductive because farmers are committed to protecting the environment,” Hebert says, noting farmers invest heavily in scientific practices, in soil testing, crop rotation, nutrient management and chemical applications.
Add in that during the crop rotation process, many farmers grow pulses that naturally return nitrogen to the soil.
“It all adds up to a care for the land and the environment and farmers do that because the land is their lifeblood.”
Hebert joined a Conversation That Matters about the myriad ways in which agriculture benefits the environment and how farmers are constantly striving to improve best practices.
Join us Dec. 13 for a Conversations Live/Vancouver Sun town hall with Kevin Falcon the B.C. Liberal Leader. A Vancouver Sun co-production conversationslive.ca
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