PEI federation official urges regional approach to save food supply

A collective approach to Maritime agriculture must be adopted if local food production is to thrive and local farm operations are to survive, says the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture.

Unless some drastic changes are made, its going to be an uphill battle for farms to survive, says Mike Nabuurs, executive direction of the federation.

The federation was reacting to a report recently released by GPI Atlantic that paints a bleak picture about farm economies of PEI and Nova Scotia. The report says jobs and wages that farms provide to rural communities are in danger of disappearing and farmers are going deeper into debt as income no longer covers expenses.

It just confirms what we have been saying, says Nabuurs. One of the principal reasons is an agriculture policy that doesnt keep our farmers competitive with other parts of the country and the world.

Farm job losses on PEI have gone from 6,100 in 1986 to 3,900 today and the number of young farmers in both provinces is at its lowest level in history. Only nine per cent of Island farmers are under 35 years of age. The federation says the Maritimes is surrounded by regions that invest heavily in agriculture like Quebec, the U.S. and Europe.

They invest in agriculture to ensure a food supply and we cant ignore that any longer, says Nabuurs. The solution lies in greater co-operation between the Maritime governments to work regionally. Individually, we dont carry a big enough stick.

Nabuurs said the issue is not about saving farmers as much as it is saving a local food supply. The report notes that Maritimers are consuming increasing amounts of imported foods.

Its about saving our rural communities and the picturesque landscapescreated by the farmerswhich the tourists come here to see.

Countless PEI reports on land use have consistently recommended assistance or tax breaks for Island farmers to maintain their farms and prevent subdivision selloffs.

We have reached a tipping point in agriculture and the next few years will be very telling, says Nabuurs. We can turn this ship around but it will take everybody rowing in the same direction.

(This article was originally published in The Guardian.)