Farmers are masters of adaptation.
When it comes to mitigating the impacts of climate change, our local producers are setting the example in terms of finding innovative solutions that protect the environment while conserving their farmland.
Not all farming is perfect. Far from it, but there seems to be an understanding among farmers that they are doing their best to get by while wanting to leave their land and farms in a better situation for future generations. This must sometimes be daunting, but there are few sectors better able to prepare for uncertainty.
There is a surprising amount of research and development being done on agricultural practices in the context of climate change. There are new techniques and strategies being tested, but it’s a slow process because what works on one plot may not work on different piece of land on the same farm, much less across regions or provinces. In this sense, developments in the field of agriculture are made on individual farms, which means our producers are involved at the forefront of farming innovation. We see it locally with the pioneering actions of the UPA and ALUS Montérégie, or the work done by the Club Agroenvironnemental du Bassin La Guerre.
New strategies to protect the soil while increasing biodiversity includes landscape work to counter the effects of flooding on fields, or the creation of riparian strips to build more distance between cropland and ditches or waterways. These practices, which are discussed in the farm supplement included in this edition, are taking place locally and they are working. Hopefully, other farmers will learn from these experiences and our locally tested best practices will spread.
As a population, we need to start recognizing the role farmers play in finding solutions to the extremes of climate change while acknowledging these changes can involve heavy costs. It is a load we can’t expect farmers to bear on their own. They need our support, as well as from governments, to ensure our farming community remains resilient.
Sarah Rennie