Comments Off on 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 eNewscelebrates 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.”
“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?”
Comments Off on FOOD SECURITY IS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LAND, WATER, AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE: “We got lucky with the timing for the launch of the Canada Food Flows interactive portal. Overnight, food security is a national priority due to Donald Trump’s threats,” stated Dr. Kushank Bajaj, researcher at the UBC Land Use and Global Environment Lab
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on March 11, 2025 featured Dr. Kushank Bajaj of the University of British Columbia and the Partnership’s Ted van der Gulik. US President Donald Trump’s economic war against Canada has shone the spotlight on British Columbia’s food security vulnerabilities.
Trump’s attack on Canada shines spotlight on food security vulnerabilities
Donald Trump’s threats have put food security on the front burner in BC. What is at stake for British Columbia? How much does our province rely on imported fruits and vegetables, particularly from the United States?
Canada Food Flows, an online and interactive portal developed at the University of British Columbia, provides answers. “Our food systems need to be transformed. Our supply chains are vulnerable,” says Kushank Bajaj, co-creator of the Canada Food Flows tool.
“Like Google maps for your dinner plate, the portal shows where 34 popular fruits and vegetables regularly consumed by Canadians come from. Imports from the USA dominate key fresh foods.”
Beyond Borders: Assessing Climate Risks in Globalized Food Systems
“I started working on fruits and vegetables in Canada and understanding the flow of fruits and vegetables for a few reasons. First, we were looking at it from a climate change risk perspective,” continues Kushank Bajaj.
He is a researcher working on sustainable food systems and climate change at the UBC Land Use and Global Environment Lab, and with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (Rome headquarters)
“Knowing that Canada is heavily reliant on other places for fruits and vegetables was one way to delve into actual risk assessment. After that, it was a question of how do we make the research more useful for people.”
“That is the story behind the story of why we developed the knowledge mobilization platform which is the Canada Food Flows portal.”
Food security is at the intersection of land, water, agriculture, and climate
“If you are importing food, you are importing water. It is that simple. Also, our agricultural land in BC really is not as secure as everyone thinks. You can see all kinds of activities that do not support food production that are going on within the Agricultural Land Reserve,” states Ted van der Gulik.
He is President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability, and former Senior Engineer in the Ministry of Agriculture.
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“Ted van der Gulik and I had a conversation with Kushank Bajaj because we perceive his research work as aligning with the mission of the Partnership. It is always about connecting dots when we have conversations such as this,” states Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“From my editor’s perspective, the story behind the story is about the insights that Kushank and Ted shared with each other; and how interweaving their two perspectives results in a compelling storyline. And a call to action!”
“In 1973, a strategic political decision was made to create the Agricultural Land Reserve. So, most of the Fraser Valley was protected as farmland. But even so, the integrity of land within the ALR has been compromised in recent decades.”
Land use, water need, food security and risk reduction in an era of uncertainty
“The Canada Food Flows portal is the hook but the real story is about two powerful tools that our provincial government has in its arsenal to support a pivot away from reliance on US food imports.”
“To provide reliable answers to those questions, the provincial government can draw upon the Agriculture Water Demand Model and the Agricultural Land Use Inventory program. These powerful tools yields accurate data about land use and water need in an era when climate change creates uncertainty and risks.”
Acceleration of the global hydrologic cycle means that British Columbia has crossed into a new climate regime
“A decade ago, we crossed an invisible hydrologic threshold into a new climate regime. The critical summer season has doubled…from mostly rain-free weather for up to 3-months to full-on droughts for up to 6-months…right when we need a reliable supply of water to grow food. We can expect deeper, more persistent drought punctuated by flooding,” concludes Kim Stephens.
How will British Columbians meet the moment?
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Food security is at the intersection of land, water, agriculture, and climate – a conversation with Dr. Kushank Banjaj and Ted van der Gulik
The story behind the story is structured in three parts. In Part One, Dr. Kushank Bajaj explains what motivated and inspired him to do his PhD thesis and how it culminated in the Canada Food Flows portal.
In Part Three, Kushank Bajaj and Ted van der Gulik share their perspectives on WHAT NEXT for food and water security, respectively. “British Columbia is water-rich but only at certain times of the year,” states Ted van der Gulik.
PART ONE: Kushank Bajaj provides context for Canada’s vulnerability as a net food importer
“My research highlights how climate change could impact B.C.’s food supply. In my PhD work, we used the Canada Food Flows to look at two things,” states Kushank Bajaj.
“And we asked, what is the exposure of different provinces in different fruit and vegetable supply chains?”
“Almost always Canada’s exposure within our borders to weather extremes are lower, relatively speaking, than the risks in the international regions we depend upon. And that makes us extremely vulnerable as a net food importer.”
“BC and other western provinces source much of their fruit and vegetables from California and Mexico, two regions at high risk of climate-change-induced drought. Eastern provinces, on the other hand, often have a much more diverse supply.”
Who is Kushank Bajaj and what inspired his research?
“I am a data scientist. I started my career as a geologist / earth scientist in India where I worked for a small not-for-profit grassroots organization.”
“I worked with data sets such as: satellite and water level data, economic data, and agriculture practices. Then I worked as an earth scientist with the Ministry of Earth Sciences for a few years before coming to UBC to do my PhD.”
“My initial idea was to return to India and support farmers in India. But COVID happened and I was exposed to so much broader research as part of the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC. This is an interdisciplinary division working on social problems.”
Assessing Climate Risks in Globalized Food Systems
“Knowing that Canada is heavily reliant on other places for fruits and vegetables was one way to delve into the actual climate change risk assessment. Looking at risks meant looking at the entire supply chain, not just domestic production.”
“After that, it was a question of how do we make the research more useful for people. So, we developed the Canada Food Flows portal as an online knowledge mobilization platform.”
Canada may be a breadbasket but nutritional security overshadows caloric security in importance
“My bigger motivation for looking beyond Canada’s borders resulted from my participation in a consultation session held in Ottawa in 2021. The consultation included policymakers, the Minister of Agriculture, and super powerful people within the agriculture food space.”
“But I thought that they were missing a really key part here. If you want to have a conversation around nutritional security, and not just caloric security, we need to think about other commodities. And Canada is also reliant on other places.”
“There was some bilateral trade data which is disaggregated by US state. This basically tells us what kinds of food come from different US states and every other country in the world. But there were lots of challenges in using that data.”
“So, our research objective was to identify how reliant are different Canadian provinces on different regions in the world; and look at it over time. It started as developing a dataset because we knew we could use it to understand lots of different things. But we chose to focus on climate risks.”
Going beyond the research to mobilize the knowledge
“The foregoing is the research side of things. When I started my PhD, I was convinced that I just wanted to publish research papers. And I also wanted to do something that would be more useful or relatable to people who are farmers.”
“How could we ensure that the knowledge does not die in the research paper because only a handful of people ever read about the project? The is the story behind the story of why we developed the knowledge mobilization platform which is the Canada Food Flows portal.”
“When I developed the first prototype, it did not have as much functionality as we would have liked. So, a friend who was an app developer helped me develop the portal. We did not have a lot of funding to do it. It was a kind of side of the desk project.”
“UBC did an official launch and the engagement numbers are incredible…for example, over 100,000 people viewed the portal over the two days prior to this interview. The fact that we have been able to reach so many people has truly been fulfilling,” concludes Kushank Bajaj.
PART TWO: Ted van der Gulik provides an overview of water security realities within BC
“I worked for the Ministry of Agriculture for 35 years. My perspective is water,” Ted van Gulik emphasizes, “And I grew up on a farm. So, I also bring that perspective.”
In his career, Ted van der Gulik has been honoured with two Premier’s Awards of Excellence. And he is one of only 22 individuals tapped for membership in the British Columbia Public Service Hall of Excellence.
The Strategy laid the groundwork for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia. In turn, the Action Plan was the springboard to Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan.
Genesis of the Agricultural Water Demand Model for British Columbia
“In 2003, I was at a meeting in Kelowna after the drought and forest fires. It was a teachable year. The local governments in the room were talking about how are we going to grow our communities. The question came up, where are going to get the water for domestic use and all the other urban uses.”
“Somebody suggested that municipalities could just take water from agriculture because agriculture has lots of water…which it does not. Nevertheless, that statement reflected the prevailing view in the room.”
“I said to Denise, we don’t even know how much water we are using, we don’t know how much we need, we don’t know how much there is. How can people suggest that taking water from agriculture is the solution for urban water supply? And Denise said, then we should build a tool.”
Power of BC’s Agricultural Water Demand Model for climate change risk reduction
“The Province, and more specifically the Ministry of Agriculture, owns both the model and the land use inventories. Having these tools allows the Province to determine very accurately how much water agriculture is using in a given year and what it could use under a climate change scenario.”
“This means that the Province has the capability to align water allocation and water use during the critical period from mid-summer through early fall when water supply is usually short and demand is at a maximum.”
“A GIS system is used to identify separate polygons for both crops and irrigation systems within each property. The Province started the program in the Okanagan and then went province-wide with it.”
Validation, province-wide application, and updating of the Agricultural Water Demand Model
“We had daily climate data on a 500-metre grid for each year from 1961 through 2010. We could run the model for every year of record. We ran it and tested it against places like the Southeast Kelowna Irrigation District which is metered. The Agricultural Water Demand Model mimicked actual water use very closely.”
“So now the Ministry of Agriculture has a model that is very good in projecting where water use for agriculture is going to go, and what would happen if we changed to more efficient irrigation systems.”
“Two decades after Denise Neilsen and I had the initial conversation that led to the Agricultural Water Demand Model, the work continues. The model calculates the water demand for each polygon of land within each parcel, for all the growing days in the year, and then adds up all the polygons in a region to get a grand total.”
The Province can determine how much water a region needs for agriculture versus how much is available
“The Ministry of Agriculture started with the Okanagan and has since applied the Agricultural Water Demand Model in every region of British Columbia. And the Partnership for Water Sustainability continues to do that work on behalf of the Province.”
“Securing and delivering water to irrigate the food lands is half the equation for ensuring our food security, including what infrastructure we will require. The other half of the equation is about preserving the best farmland.”
“Farm water demand is determined by spatially overlaying crops, soils, irrigation systems and climate data for every property in BC. This allows us to estimate the total water demand for a specific area.”
The ALR saved the land for farming but…
“All things considered, our land really is not that secure. Sure, land in the ALR is supposed to be held for agricultural use. But it is being used for a whole range of other purposes.”
“The Fraser Valley can grow a lot of the food that we need…vegetables, dairy and poultry. The fertile Fraser Valley is the best farmland in the province. And it is also some of the best farmland in Canada.”
“But we are slowly losing our land base for growing food. It is not just because land is coming out of the Agricultural Land Reserve. Rather, it is also about what is happening on the land within the ALR. Farmland is being lost to non-agricultural uses.”
In summary, Ted van der Gulik concludes that…
“These are the things that government has to struggle with. In the months and years ahead, it will require extremely good and knowledgeable leadership to make the right decisions and get tough to do the right things.”
“In 1973, British Columbia had the incredible foresight to legally protect the very limited amount of land we have that can grow food. And now we need to do the same with water through an Agriculture Water Reserve.”
“The Water Sustainability Act includes language for Agricultural Water Reserves. The agricultural land use inventories and agricultural water demand model will be integral to developing an agricultural water reserve in any area of the province.”
PART THREE: What next for land, water and food security in British Columbia?
“The problem is not globalisation, but the concentration and our obsession with increasing efficiencies in our food systems. The increase in efficiency and concentration can sometimes come at the cost of resilience. Further, our diets are increasingly getting homogenized,” observes Kushank Bajaj.
“Now people have different expectations because they have become accustomed to having whatever food they want, whenever they want it, year-round. These habits and diets may be hard to change,” muses Kushank Bajaj.
Keep building partnerships to do meaningful work
“Ideally, we would like to expand Canada Food Flows in a few different ways on both the back-end data and applications side of the portal. We want to expand beyond fruits and vegetables to look at all commodities. And include exports going out of Canada,” continues Kushank Bajaj.
“On a personal note, I want to do more meaningful work which is on the ground meaningful. So, I want to keep building partnerships in BC and doing the kind of work I do in Canada.”
“Now with what I have learned from Ted van der Gulik about the Agricultural Land Use Inventory program, it would be exciting to do that in a way that aligns with the work of the Partnership for Water Sustainability,” says Kushank Bajaj in summarizing how he envisions a path forward might possibly look like.
Food security is still within our grasp
“Collectively what we need in British Columbia is a mind-set change to affect an attitude shift,” says Ted van der Gulik with emphasis. “People need to care about what is done to land and water so that they can be protected for the benefit of everyone.”
“Without a shift in thinking, sustainable water management may never be achieved in British Columbia. But Trump’s threats make a mind-set change possible. And the Canada Food Flows findings are galvanizing.”
“Embracing an attitude change cannot be led by one entity alone. Getting everyone on the same page will require building trust between all sectors and accepting what mainstream science is telling us. Where and how we start that process is still an unknown,” concludes Ted van der Gulik.
About the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
Technical knowledge alone is not enough to resolve water challenges facing BC. Making things happen in the real world requires an appreciation and understanding of human behaviour, combined with a knowledge of how decisions are made. It takes a career to figure this out.
The Partnership has a primary goal, to build bridges of understanding and pass the baton from the past to the present and future. To achieve the goal, the Partnership is growing a network in the local government setting. This network embraces collaborative leadership and inter-generational collaboration.
Comments Off on BC’s PATH TO FOOD SECURITY IS THRU WATER SECURITY: “When we think of all the changes in thinking that we have gone through in the last 50 years, the Land Commission Act really is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973,” stated Joan Sawicki, former MLA
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition publishedon April 18, 2023 featured Joan Sawicki, former provincial cabinet minister, and drew attention to the 50th anniversary of British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve.
The ALR is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973. Without the ALR, there would be no prospect for food security. With the ALR, as Ted van der Gulik states below, food security is achievable but only if BC also secures the water supplies needed to irrigate the land that would then provide food security.
BC’s path to food security is thru water security
April 18th 2013 is the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Land Commission Act in 1973 and subsequent creation of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) boundaries.
Most British Columbians do not know a British Columbia without the ALR. We take it for granted and that could be a problem because threats to food security do remain. In addition, we have new challenges such as climate change and water supply sustainability that were not even on the radar screen 50 years ago.
So, what was the rationale and justification for this unprecedented intrusion into rural land use planning? And why is the ALR a testament to the foresight of 1973?
For answers to those questions, we turn to Joan Sawicki, an original employee of the Land Commission, a career land use consultant, and a former provincial cabinet minister.
Keeping the Options Open
“With only about 5% of BC’s land area capable of agricultural use, 50 years ago it was estimated we were losing 6000 hectares per year to non-farm uses. It was clear that local governments could not withstand development pressures upon this scarce provincial resource,” recalls Joan Sawicki.
“With high reliance upon imported food from places like California and Mexico – and the increasing risks related to those sources – BC needed to safeguard its food security by ensuring our limited amount of agricultural land was available for present and future generations.”
“At a time when most other jurisdictions continue to lose their food lands, BC’s ALR remains the most successful agricultural land preservation program in North America. With food security now becoming a top-of-mind public issue, thanks to the foresight demonstrated in 1973 we still have “the land” – and I submit we would not still have the option for viable agricultural sectors in high growth areas like the Lower Mainland or the Okanagan without the ALR.”
“The ALR has been doing exactly what it was designed to do. It is protecting the lands that can grow food and keeping our options open. That was the title of the first Land Commission brochure, Keeping the Options Open. Thanks to the ALR, we still have land use options moving forward.”
SOURCE: presentation by Commission Chair Jennifer Dyson and CEO Kim Grout
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“The guest Editor’s Perspective for this edition of Waterbucket eNews is contributed by Ted van der Gulik, Partnership President. Two decades ago, he had a vision for a science-based approach to management of irrigation water demand in BC. As the Senior Engineer in the BC Ministry of Agriculture, he had a mandate that allowed him to put his ideas into practice with province-wide implementation of the Agriculture Water Demand Model. He continues to provide guidance, training, and oversight for program delivery,” states Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and Waterbucket eNews Editor.
BC’s path to food security is through water security
Look back to see ahead. The 50th anniversary of the ALR is an opportunity for reflection followed by action. As Joan Sawicki accurately concludes in her story behind the story, this will require equally good policy and political courage.
The ALR saved the land. Without the ALR, there would be no prospect for food security. Will today’s decision makers rise to the moment and secure the water supply necessary to irrigate the land needed for food security?
In terms of risks and opportunities, the situation in the Fraser Basin illustrates what is at stake for British Columbians.
A Changing Climate Threatens Food Security
Home to two-thirds of British Columbians, the mighty Fraser River is the lifeblood of a vast watershed that stretches from the Rockies to the Pacific. The lower Fraser Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in Canada, is vital to BC’s long-term food security.
The Fraser drains one of the most diverse watersheds in North America – for example, its vast lands contain ten of BC’s fourteen biogeoclimatic zones. Yet many of the Fraser’s 34 tributaries, or riversheds, have been damaged by human activity.
Meanwhile, climate change is no longer a future scenario
It is here. At the mouth of the Fraser, for example, the consequences of summer droughts and rising sea levels combine to impact river water quality while at the same time increasing the need for irrigation water.
The critical issue, or impact, is the salt wedge and the shrinking window of opportunity for pumping fresh water from the Fraser River. This is a double whammy for agriculture.
An increase in sea levels combined with a drought flow on the Fraser River would allow ocean salt water to move farther upriver in the future. This would shut down current water supply intakes for a longer period of time. Thus, it could become challenging to extract sufficient good quality irrigation water for agricultural use in Richmond and Delta.
What does this mean, really?
Gee-whiz facts!
Simply put, the water supply window for Richmond and Delta could be reduced from between 15 and 24 hours per day for present-day normal river flows, to less than 3 hours per day in the foreseeable future – due to the combination of sea level rise and drought flows.
What else do decision makers need to know?
Facts and figures help paint a picture
The Agriculture Water Demand Model is a foundation piece for food security. The model utilizes detailed land use inventories and incorporates a 500 m gridded climate data set – the only one in North America. The Agriculture Water Demand Model quantifies what we have versus what we need with respect to land and water:
Fact – BC’s farmers currently produce less than 50 percent of our provincial food requirements.
Fact – The ALR is over 4 million hectares.
Fact – To achieve food security in the Year 2025, for example, BC would require ~2.8 million ha of agricultural land in production of which over 300,000 ha must be irrigated.
Fact – This means that a 50 percent increase in irrigated farmland would be required – from 200,000 to 300,000 hectares.
Fact – Increased production would be concentrated on lands with access to irrigation – typically close to urban centers.
Fact – The amount of irrigated agricultural area in the Fraser Valley is already substantial and is about 1.4 times that in the Okanagan. Few people know this.
Fact – Also, the potential buildout for irrigated farmland in the Fraser Valley is about 2.4 times the area currently irrigated.
Fact – This means that the Fraser Valley alone could provide two-thirds of the additional irrigated land area that British Columbia needs for food security. Think about that!
Fact – The Fraser River would be able to supply much of the water required. But delivering the water would require a huge investment in infrastructure.
Fact – The Fraser Basin has more than 50% of the total provincial ALR area. And the ALR accounts for close to 10% of the basin drainage area.
Given the facts, what will today’s decision makers do? Fifty years from now, will future generations be praising the foresight demonstrated in 2023?
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Fifty Years – and miraculously still here: BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve – conversational interview with Joan Sawicki
“In August 1973, I walked into the Land Commission office in Burnaby for my first day of work, four months after the April 18 passage of the Land Commission Act,” recalls Joan Sawicki.
“A 5-member Commission had already been appointed and my soon-to-be husband, Gary Runka, a soil scientist with the BC Department of Agriculture in Kelowna, had already been seconded to serve as General Manager.”
“Our task was clear. We were to establish Agricultural Land Reserve boundaries across the province based on agriculture land capability mapping already completed under the national Canada Land Inventory (CLI) program.
“Fifty years later, I ask myself what made the ALR different and why did it last? And beyond its fundamental purpose to protect farmland, has it had a broader impact in BC?”
What makes the ALR different?
“The Land Commission Act came in the middle of the 1960s debate about land as a commodity that you buy and sell for the ‘highest and best use’ versus land as a resource to be managed in the greater public interest.”
“The legislation made it clear that BC’s scarce amount of farmland was not just a private commodity of the landowner, it was also an important provincial resource. And that provincial resource needed to be protected within a provincial zone.”
“Furthermore, that protected zone would be defined on a biophysical basis – the soil/climate capability of the land to grow food. Within the ALR, food production and compatible uses would be considered ‘the highest and best use’. Full stop. In my opinion, that is what makes the ALR different and is one of the main reasons why I believe it has lasted for 50 years.”
Fast forward to the present day
“While sometimes it may not feel like it, our thinking has actually changed quite a lot over the past 50 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, land as a resource continued to gain prominence – but resources were still seen in human terms. i.e., we use pieces and parts of the natural system to meet human needs. If we want or need it, then we see it as a ‘resource’.”
“In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, there was a growing recognition that there are some ecosystems that should be valued in their own right, quite apart from humans. This was the era when BC dramatically increased parks and protected areas.”
“Then we get to today. All of a sudden, (but not without warning), the realities of climate change are upon us. And we need to change our thinking yet again to recognize that, not only do ecosystems have a value unto themselves, but we also actually NEED healthy functioning ecosystems for human survival.”
“That brings us back to whole foundation of the ALR – that we need to ensure the availability and health of productive lands in order to feed ourselves, now and in the future.”
Where do we need to go next?
“How many British Columbians have even considered that the ALR has probably been the single greatest influence on community planning in BC over the past half century? “
“There were several government initiatives implemented in parallel with the ALR in the 1970s through 1990s that were about good community planning. A prime example was the Georgia Basin Initiative. The ALR was the catalyst. We had the ALR, but we still had to accommodate other uses, like residential, industrial and transportation corridors. The ALR meant we had to plan our settled areas better.“
“During the early 2000s, however, there was an emphasis on smaller government and reduced budgets. The loss of planning capacity within local and regional governments has had consequences for community planning, especially in the rural areas of the province.”
Importance of keeping our options open
There are new issues that were not even on the radar screen in 1973, like climate change, biodiversity and Indigenous Reconciliation. All are complex and all demand a much broader understanding of agricultural use and ecological sustainability.”
“We don’t know what will face us in the future. But surely, the message of the last 50 years and the ALR is that we need to hedge our bets and keep our options open for the next 50 years too.” “
“In 1973, the Agricultural Land Reserve not only preserved the land for food production for present and future generations, but it preserved the option, our one last chance, to plan our settled communities to be more resilient and sustainable, to provide adequate housing, commercial, industrial and all the other land uses that people need.”
“When we think of the changes in thinking that have occurred over the past 50 years, the ALR really is a testament to the incredible foresight that was demonstrated in 1973. With all the challenges we now face, it will require equally good public policy, political courage – and foresight – to guide BC through the coming decades,” concludes Joan Sawicki.
Did you enjoy this article? Would you like a PDF document version?Click on the image below to download your copy.
BONUS! As an appendix, the downloadable document includes a copy of the article that Joan Sawicki wrote for Orders of the Day, the newsletter of the Association of Former MLAs of British Columbia. This is an enlightening narrative of defining moments in the 50-year history of BC’s ALR.
Comments Off on FACT SHEETS FOR AGRICULTURE: Partnership for Water Sustainability assists governments of Canada and British Columbia to develop guidance documents for water licensing and storage (January 2022)
Guidance on Farm Water Storage
Water storage is often promoted as a solution to water supply shortages due to climate change. While storage may often be a solution, there are issues that need to be addressed to determine if a storage facility will be viable. These can include regulations and licensing, facility location and options, purpose of use and storage size.
The implementation of groundwater licensing into the Water Sustainability Act raised many questions regarding dugouts, dug wells and other infrastructure with respect to licensing. The agriculture licensing factsheet is intended to provide clarity to agriculture producers on the licensing requirements.
BUDGET CONSULTATION 2022: Partnership for Water Sustainability issues a “Call for Action” by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to rectify a chaotic situation, provide a dedicated budget, and get groundwater licensing implementation back on track in British Columbia (October 2021)
On October 5, 2021, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC’s weekly Waterbucket eNews featured groundwater licensing for the second time in three editions because it is fundamental to water management in BC. Leadership and commitment at the highest levels of government have been missing in action during the 6-year transition period for implementation. Consequently, the lack of groundwater licensing is a looming crisis with far-reaching ramifications for the BC economy.
The purpose in featuring groundwater licensing twice within three weeks was to draw attention to the presentation by Partnership President Ted van der Gulik to the Select Standing Committee on Government Finance on September 30, 2021. He laid out a How-To-Framework for a 10-year plan of action to get groundwater licensing back on track.
The Partnership’s Ted van der Gulik made the case for a total investment of $300 million when he explained the situation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. His presentation on September 30, 2021 was the last of 300 in-person presentations to the committee as part of its Budget 2022 Consultation process.
Comments Off on ACCESS AND DOWNLOAD A SET OF REPORTS ON: British Columbia’s Agriculture Water Demand Model – learn about province-wide application and results
An Okanagan Basin Water Strategy was initiated by Land and Water British Columbia in 2004 in response to significant pressures being exerted on the water resources in the basin.
The Agricultural Water Demand Model was developed to provide current and future agriculture water demands for the Okanagan Basin. Success of the project included assistance from the following:
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
Environment Canada
Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Okanagan Basin Water Board
University of Lethbridge
The model is based on a GIS database that contains information on cropping, irrigation system type, soils type and climatic data.
The survey area included all properties within the Agricultural Land Reserve and those occurring outside the ALR where there is active agriculture.
Comments Off on OP-ED ARTICLE: Kim Stephens – Celebrating a decade of living water smart in B.C., but where to from here? (published in the Vancouver Sun in June 2018)
In 2008, the Living Water Smart program called British Columbians to action to create greener communities and prepare for climate change
Water defines British Columbia, and the rhythms of water are changing – winters are wetter and warmer; summers are longer and drier. Flood, drought, fire, wind and cold – extreme events are the New Normal. We are at a tipping point. When will communities adapt, and how?
In 2008, “Living Water Smart, British Columbia’s Water Plan” was the Province’s call to action, and to this day transcends governments. The vision:
“We take care of our water, our water takes care of us.”
“On the 10th anniversary of its release, we celebrate transformational initiatives set in motion by Living Water Smart,” wrote the four co-authors.
Collaboration in the Local Government Setting
The hard work of hope has resulted in a policy, program and regulatory framework that enables community-based action to adapt to the New Normal. Living Water Smart successes are defined by collaboration and a “top-down / bottom-up” approach. This brings together decision-makers and community advocates.
“While legislative reform is a foundation piece, collaboration takes place outside the legislative framework,” Lynn Kriwoken stated in 2008. An Executive Director in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, she personifies continuity, commitment and leadership in bringing the Living Water Smart vision to fruition.
“This is why we constantly emphasize that Living Water Smart is about motivating and inspiring everyone to embrace shared responsibility. Influencing behaviour and attitudes is at the heart of moving from awareness to action,” added Kriwoken.
Game-Changers Flowing from ‘Living Water Smart’
The legislative piece is the Water Sustainability Act, one of several game-changers. A historic achievement, the Act recognizes the connections between land and water – what happens on the land matters!
What Makes a Stream Healthy:
In Living Water Smart, the lynch-pin statement is:
“All land and water managers will know what makes a stream healthy, and therefore be able to help land and water users factor in new approaches to securing stream health and the full range of stream benefits”.
This vision statement guides the work of the Partnership for Water Sustainability, the hub for a “convening for action” network in the local government setting. The Partnership collaborates with the province, local governments, stewardship sector and First Nations to develop and mainstream approaches, tools and resources that advance “design with nature” outcomes.
Strategic Direction for Local Government:
Another game-changer flowing from Living Water Smart is “Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery: A BC Framework”. Led by Asset Management BC, the BC Framework sets a strategic direction for local government service delivery. It refocuses business processes on how physical and natural assets are used to deliver services, and support outcomes that reduce life-cycle costs and address risks.
Sustainable service delivery by local government occurs alongside associated evolution in community thinking. By managing the built and natural environments as integrated systems, local governments would incrementally move towards a water-resilient future as an outcome.
Value of Ecological Services:
Hydrology is the engine that powers ecological services. Thus, integration of the Partnership’s work within the BC Framework should accelerate implementation of the whole-system, water balance approach at the heart of the Partnership’s “Sustainable Watershed Systems, through Asset Management” program.
A pillar of Sustainable Watershed Systems is the Ecological Accounting Process. EAP establishes what the definable benefits of ecological services derived from creekshed hydrology are, what they may be worth to stakeholders, and how they may be maintained and enhanced. EAP has the potential to transform how communities make decisions about creekshed restoration.
Water & Food Security:
Yet another game-changer flowing from Living Water Smart is the B.C. Agricultural Water Demand Model. It accounts for climate change, is applied to establish future needs for Agricultural Water Reserves, and is the engine for the online B.C. Agriculture Water Licence Calculator. Developed to support implementation of the B.C. Groundwater Regulation, the Calculator quantifies outdoor water use for any property in B.C., including residential.
Call to Action
B.C. communities can adapt to the New Normal. They can create a water-resilient future where flood and drought risks are reduced. As a result of initiatives inspired by Living Water Smart, we have tools and experience to “get it right”. So, through collaboration and commitment, together let’s make it happen – sooner, not later!
Comments Off on OP-ED ARTICLE: More irrigation is key to food security in B.C. (published in the Vancouver Sun in November 2017)
Note to Reader:
On November 18, 2017 the Vancouver Sun newspaper published an opinion piece co-authored by Kim Stephens, Ted van der Gulik and Fin Donnelly. The article foreshadowed aspects of what would be addressed at the Blue Ecology Workshop on November 28, 2017.
The article weaved three themes and two perspectives (environmental and agricultural) into a seamless storyline: watershed health, climate change and food security.
Ted van der Gulik is president and Kim Stephens is executive director of Partnership for Water Sustainability in B.C. Fin Donnelly is the member of Parliament representing Port Moody-Coquitlam and is founder of the Rivershed Society of B.C.
The Fraser River, Climate Change and Food Security
“Home to two-thirds of British Columbians, the mighty Fraser River is the lifeblood of a vast watershed that stretches from the Rockies to the Pacific. The lower Fraser Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in Canada, is vital to BC’s long-term food security,” stated the co-authors in their opening paragraph.
“No longer is climate change a future scenario. It is here. At the mouth of the Fraser, the consequences of summer droughts and rising sea levels combine to impact river water quality while at the same time increasing the need for irrigation water.
“The critical issue, or impact, is the salt wedge and the shrinking window of opportunity for pumping fresh water from the Fraser River. This is a double whammy for agriculture.”
Comments Off on Water Licensing Calculator: Managing Water as One Resource in British Columbia
TEST DRIVE IT! The Water Licensing Calculator is available at http://www.bcagriculturewatercalculator.ca/
Note to Reader:
Passed by the British Columbia Legislature in Spring 2014, the Water Sustainability Act and new regulations were brought into effect on February 29, 2016. The Act is a game-changer because it recognizes the connection between land use actions and the implications for the both the water cycle and watershed sustainability.
This means the Act will have widespread impacts on how water and land practitioners conduct their work. New groundwater licensing requirements are now in effect and apply to all existing and future non-domestic wells. The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC is assisting the Province with implementation and developed the BC Agriculture Water Calculator, an online tool.
Licensing Groundwater Use under British Columbia’s new Water Sustainability Act
“In British Columbia, surface and groundwater are now managed under the same regulatory system,” states Greg Tyson, Water Policy Advisor with the BC Ministry of Environment. “Effective February 29, 2016 all non-domestic users of groundwater are required to obtain a licence to withdraw and use water from wells. This means that about 20,000 existing non-domestic well owners, including those in the agriculture sector, must now apply for a licence.”
Context for Calculator Development
“Licensing 20,000 wells initially seemed daunting when a provincial group met in mid-2015 to brainstorm an approach to this immense task. The team had to solve the challenge of HOW to help groundwater users reliably quantify their annual water licence volumes. Suffice to say, the brainstorming resulted in an Aha Moment and a solution took shape,” recalls Ted van der Gulik, Partnership President.
Prior to retiring from government, he was the Senior Engineer in the BC Ministry of Agriculture, and is the champion responsible for province-wide implementation of the Agriculture Water Demand Model (AWDM). His history of innovation and his ability to connect dots made it possible to fast-track development of the BC Agriculture Water Calculator. This online tool enables water licensing for all irrigation purposes, whether agricultural or landscape.
Nature of the Innovation
“The calculator works for any and all properties in the province,” continues Ted van der Gulik. “Just go to the website, type an address, and zoom in on that property. It is that easy. The tool then instantly generates both the annual water demand and the peak irrigation flow rate for the property selected.”
“The innovation is in how we utilized the Agriculture Water Demand Model (AWDM) to generate the database for the Water Calculator. The AWDM incorporates a climate database for the entire province. This data is on a 500-metre grid. That is an incredibly fine scale of detail.”
“Integration with the AWDM results in consistent and reliable annual volumes for licence requests. This is the key. It then allows the Province to assess the acceptability of licence requests versus water resource availability and sustainability,” notes Ted van der Gulik.
Who Funded Calculator Development
The three funders are the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia (IAF), BC Ministry of Environment, and the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB). The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC is providing in-kind support and is the entity of record for the tool.
The OBWB has also provided substantial in-kind support toward tool development. The Water Licence Calculator is compatible with the BC Water Use Reporting Centre (BCWURC) tools developed in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture. The Water Use Reporting Tool will help producers report water use when this regulation comes into force.
Right-Size Licence Requests
“Agricultural users need water licences that are big enough to get through droughts, longer growing seasons from climate change, and changes in crop types to respond to market demand,” notes Anna Warwick Sears, Executive Director, Okanagan Basin Water Board.
“At the same time, they don’t want the unnecessary licence costs of having them oversized. The Agricultural Water Licensing Calculator lets farmers right-size their licence requests – it’s fast, it’s easy, and they can get on board with the new Water Sustainability Act.”
A Look Ahead
“Agriculture is a big water user in BC. The Province sees a lot of value in the calculator for water licence holders and for provincial water managers. The tool will help provincial water managers assess the water requirements of users and enable us to better manage BC’s water resources in collaboration with the agriculture sector,” concludes Greg Tyson.
“While legislative reform is a foundation piece, collaboration takes place outside the legislative framework,” Lynn Kriwoken stated in 2008. An Executive Director in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, she personifies continuity, commitment and leadership in bringing the Living Water Smart vision to fruition.
