Macphail Woods Articles
A call for legislative action in support of sustainable agriculture in PEI

A call for legislative action in support of sustainable agriculture in PEI by Gary Schneider

The recent press conference organized by the National Farmers Union (local 104), the Environmental Coalition of PEI and other groups was a coming together of people who care about the future of both farming and the environment. It was the first opportunity for farm groups and conservation/environmental organizations to work together to bring sorely-needed change.

Over the past year, Islanders witnessed unprecedented damage to land and water resources. With little snow cover and many fields left bare over the winter, soil erosion reached unacceptable levels. Then came the summer, with eight separate occurrences where major pesticide contamination killed fish and other life in Island waterways. Most of us now realize that our land and water resources are under severe stress ftom an ever expanding industrial potato production sector.

Despite the best efforts of many farmers, conservation groups and numerous commissions such as the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship, farming practices which cause fish and other aquatic life to die continue to increase. Many concerns have been expressed about the long-term impact of industrial potato production methods on the health of Islanders, especially children. With the deluge of national press coverage on pesticide runoff this past summer, the picture many Canadians now have of our Island is one where dead fish float in muddy waters. ECO-PEI, the NFU s Local 104, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Organic Crop Impmvenient Association, the PEI Wildlife Federation, the Cooper Insitute, the O Leary Wildlife Federation and the Island Nature Trust are now asking for changes in farming legislation. The amount of potato acreage has swollen to unsustainable proportions. More and more marginal and unsuitable land is being plowed for potatoes. This continues to cause problems between some potato farmers and their immediate neighbours, conservation organizations, and recreational fishers. It is also hurting other industries, such as tourism, shell fishing, mussel growing and other farm sectors that rely on a clean Island environment. It is clear we need environmental legislation that sets boundaries for industrial potato production if we are to secure the future economic sustainability of this province for all Islanders. We are asking the Provincial Government for legislative action that will address the most serious problems of industrial potato production.

It is clear from independent scientific studies ~, past public hearings2 and commonobservation that land under industrial potato production cannot be sustained with less than a three year rotation. In 1987 the Report of the Royal Commission on the PEI Potato Industiy, chaired by Professor Fred Driscoll, stated "The strategy of shortened rotation, while possible, would be disastrous from the perspective of soil conservation. It seems more responsible at this stage of the industry s development to acknowledge that the industry has reached a peak." The five year average acreage for potato production, at the time of Professor Driscoll s comment, was 69,680 acres3.

Given the size of today s potato production units and the nature of potato crop production, it is clear that industrial potato production on lands that have a slope of 9% or greater will inevitably lead, as it has over the past years, to significant soil erosion and thus future fish kills. The potato farmers and other members of the Round Table concluded that this was one of the legislative actions needed to help protect our soil and waterways.

We are also calling for consideration and discussion by stakeholders and the community of a yearly reduction in industrial potato production acreage with a target for the maximum number of acres that can be grown in Prince Edward Island on a yearly basis.

The discussion around a maximum sustainable acreage of industrial potato production per year should is based on the following considerations:

The Island's limited agricultural land base must be available to all farmers, not just those involved in industrial potato production. To have the trend continue wherein the majority of arable land is used in potato monoculture production is unfair to those involved in other crop production or land use such as dairy production. Large scale monocultures tend to produce crops susceptible to disease which in turn encourages or forces farmers into dependency on pesticides.

At the same time we are seeking support for Island farmers. It is no coincidence that the Island faces an environmental crisis as farmers face theit own crisis due to high input costs and low commodity prices. The question of land use is as much a community issue as it is a property issue. Farmers must therefore be sufficiently supported, through the resources of government, as they adapt production methods to meet the challenges of agricultural sustainability.

In consideration of the impact and vital role farmers are playing and will play in the conversion to sustainable agriculture we have requested the following support and actions by the Provincial Government:

• That monies be made available to farmers from the Provincial government to implement sustainable farm practices
• That the Provincial Government provide financial marketing resources to farmers that are producing food products in a sustainable manner.
• That farmers making the transition to more sustainable farm practices be lent money at cost from the Provincial and Federal lending institutions
• That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to put in place marketing structures that give farmers a fair return on their labour and investment
• That new money be made available to the PEI Department of Agriculture and Forestry (from the Provincial and Federal governments) to study, monitor and determine what farming practices are more sustainable
• That money be made available from the Provincial Government fro education on what farming practices and techniques are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

We are also looking for support form other organizations across the Island, from shellfishers and tourist operators to communities and development groups. If we all work together, we can make the necessary positive changes and still maintain a thriving, active agriculture.

Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship

The report of the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship was released to the public on September 3, 1997. Web development and maintenance by Chris Martin.