Convening for Action in British Columbia

WHEN FARMLAND PROTECTION IS NOT ENOUGH: “So here we are, losing farmland every year to industrial, non-farm use. Food security is at risk. How do we get the fruit of the Agricultural Land Reserve? That is what we have to protect,” stated Christina Gemino, graduate of the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University

October 7, 2025 - Posted in Convening for Action in Lower Mainland

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.

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.

ONE MINUTE TAKEAWAY for the extremely busy reader

The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) saved the land for farming but the land is not that secure. BC is slowly losing land for growing food. It is not just because land is coming out of the ALR. Within the ALR, farmland is being lost to non-agricultural uses.

When farmland protection isn’t enough

Christina Gemino breaks new ground with The Silent Death of Agriculture in Metro Vancouver. Using data from the provincial Agricultural Land Inventory (ALI) program, she draws attention to the consequential impacts of non-sanctioned (aka illegal) changes in how agricultural land is used and abused.

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

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER

“The Partnership for Water Sustainability embraces the idea of passing on the intergenerational baton. We seek out those with passion and commitment who are keen to accept the baton so that they can make a difference in their careers,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

Agricultural Land Inventory program provides a powerful capability to understand what is happening on the land in British Columbia

“Christina Gemino worked part-time on the Agricultural Land Inventory program from 2022 through 2025 while attending Simon Fraser University. As you will read in the story behind the story, this experience lit a spark and inspired her master’s research. In June 2025, Christina received her Masters of Resource Management (Planning) degree.”

Tools to support a caretaker leadership vision for protecting soil and water

“How many hectares of food lands do we have? How many do we need to irrigate for food security? And how many hectares are we losing within the Agricultural Land Reserve and without even knowing it? To provide reliable answers to those questions, the provincial government can draw upon two powerful tools.”

Food security is at the intersection of land, water, agriculture, and climate

“The combination of the Agriculture Water Demand Model and the Agricultural Land Inventory program is powerful because they give us accurate data about land use and water need in an era when climate change creates uncertainty and risks.”

When minds open and people care, attitudes shift

“What we need most in BC is a mind-set change to affect an attitude shift. People need to care about what is done to land and water so that they can be protected for the benefit of everyone.”

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.

“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.”

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?”