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SILENT DEATH OF AGRICULTURE IN METRO VANCOUVER – When Farmland Protection is not Enough: “My dad is a professor and researcher. When I told him my thesis title, he said you cannot make that your title. That is too dramatic! And in reply I said, but the topic is dramatic. It demands a dramatic title,” stated Christina Gemino, graduate of School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective,  and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED BELOW).

The edition published on October 7, 2025 featured Christina Gemino. Her stunning research draws attention to how non-sanctioned industrial use on agricultural land changes the land base forever, with consequential impacts for food security in British Columbia. She worked part-time on the Agricultural Land Inventory program from 2022 through 2025 while attending Simon Fraser University. This experience lit a spark and inspired her master’s research.

 

Images are mostly from the Partnership’s library. A few are from the public domain and Creative Commons.

 

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver: When Farmland Protection Isn’t Enough – a conversation with Christina Gemino

“Yes, the silent death of agriculture in Metro Vancouver is very powerful as a thesis title” was the first thing Christina Gemino said when we had a conversation about her thesis and  said, that is a powerful title. Our conversation was the day after her university convocation,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

“My dad is a professor and researcher. When I told him my title, he said  you cannot make that your title. That is too dramatic! And in reply I said, but the topic is dramatic. It demands a dramatic title,” added Christina.

 

The story behind the story has three parts

The story behind the story is structured as three topics. Topic One  describes the moment when Christina Gemino had her epiphany as a student when she had her initial exposure to the ALI program. In Topic Two, she synthesizes her research journey into a couple of key numbers. Topic Three is philosophical in nature. Now that she has a mission, Christina Gemino reflects on her hopes and aspirations.

 

TOPIC ONE: How serendipity led Christina Gemino to the ALI program and inspired her 

“I worked on the Agricultural Land Inventory program for three years. My last year of undergraduate plus the two years of graduate studies. The job was part-time while I was going to school,” explains Christina Gemino.

 

The seed for a career mission is planted

“When I was  back at school that Fall, I emailed Kevin that I would love to work with him. In January 2022 I joined the team.”

 

TOPIC TWO: Tammara Soma – right professor in the right place at the right moment

“I was in the Resource and Environmental Management program at SFU and I was doing a master’s degree in planning. I did my thesis as part of the Food Systems Lab. It is headed by Dr. Tammara Soma,” continues Christina Gemino.

 

 

“When I told people, including my classmates, that I was researching agriculture, their reaction was…okay, snoozefest. They did not understand that there is a really big problem happening in Metro Vancouver.”

“In the REM program we have to pitch our research. I would show pictures of areas where in the early 2000s we had farming and then by the 2020s it turned into industrial use. There were quite a few of these areas.”

 

 

“They are saying we have so much land. What is the matter with one farm going out of production? But they don’t see the big picture. They don’t see the consequences of accumulating losses for the  region’s food security over time.”

 

“Dr. Soma suggested reading the work of several scholars but we were excited to focus in on Metro Vancouver because it is a very unique situation. We have a lot of rural and also peri-urban land all together. And so I really wanted to look at it specifically.”

 

DOWNLOAD A COPY OF CHRISTINA GEMINO’S CAPSTONE PROJECT: The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver: When Farmland Protection Isn’t Enough

What the numbers tell us

“From 2016 until 2022, we lost 1.4% of actively farmed area. At first glance, 1.4% does not seem like a lot but in the context of BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve, it is significant. The problem is that this number should be ZERO.”

 

 

“But the piece of data that was most validating was the 121% increase in parcels with industrial use. These are new parcels with industrial use just from 2016 until 2022.”

“In my opinion, that is pretty significant. It shows that there needs to be more enforcement on ALR land because there is no sign of industrial use stopping or slowing down. In fact, the opposite is becoming clear.”

 

 

“We need to view agriculture as a public good. It is a finite resource. So we need to protect it. The issue is getting the information out there in a way that the community realizes that loss of farmland is more significant than they might think.”

 

TOPIC THREE: Where will Christina Gemino’s passion and mission take her?

“The one thing people do not think about with farmland is that it is a finite resource. We do not have Class 1 to 4 land everywhere. Only 5% of BC land is suitable for farming. It is a really small amount. The fact that people do not realize that is my source of frustration,” laments Christina Gemino.

“I have had really good opportunities to share my research…at SFU, and with the Langley Agricultural Advisory Committee and the ALI team. We are trying to get the word out there but it is hard.”

 

 

“Some of what I say in my presentations may be controversial. But I believe we cannot keep doing what we are doing. It is not working. We have to try doing something else. So I am okay with being controversial.”

What is the future for agricultural land if it is not viewed as a public good when food security is at risk? 

“One point from my paper that I really hope people would take away is about the economic viability of farming. People are struggling. They are not finding it viable to farm. And that is why I believe all this non-farm use is happening.”

“It is hard to tell someone that you have to farm your land when they say it does not make money and I need an income to live. You cannot force someone to grow vegetables. They have to make that decision. But it is hard to encourage people to do that without a financial incentive and a mechanism.”

 

A call to action

“Agricultural land is a public good because it serves everybody, but it is not treated as such. And that makes it difficult. Food should not be political, but it is. So here we are… losing farmland every year to industrial, non-farm use. How do we get the fruit of the ALR?”

 

 

To Learn More:

Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF  copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver – When Farmland Protection Isn’t Enough.

 

DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/10/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Christina-Gemino-and-Silent-Death-of-Agriculture_2025.pdf