A New Approach to Encouraging Stewardship on Agricultural Landscapes of Alberta

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A New Approach to Encouraging Stewardship on
Agricultural Landscapes of Alberta
PRESENTED TO Leading Edge Stewardship
Conservation in Canada July 2003, Victoria,
B.C.
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PRESENTED BY ERNIE EWASCHUK EDMONTON, AB.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Ag Summit 2000 Process
• Environmental Stewardship Action Team
• Co-Chair, Gordon Kerr
• Land Stewardship Centre of Canada

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Presentation Outline

• Review Ag Summit 2000 Process
• Action Team Rationale
• Methods of meeting environmental goals
• Other jurisdictions
• Societal/agricultural (desires/concerns)
• Paradigm shift needed
• Action Plan
• Potential for implementation
• Conclusions/Outcomes

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THE PROCESS
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Ag Summit 2000
Agriculture is at a crossroads. There are many
challenges and opportunities facing this industry
and government and industry alike need to address
them head-on to ensure a healthy and sustainable
future. Ty
Lund, Minister - February 02, 2000
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Ag Summit 2000
Phases Consultative Planning Implementat
ion Evaluation/monitoring
We are here in process
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Ag Summit 2000

• Encouraged out of the box thinking,
  collaboration and innovation.
• Encouraged development of break-through
  initiatives.
• Consultative Phase
• 35 regional/theme Summit meetings held in
  province to identify key issues
• Ag Summit wrap-up workshop June 7-8, 2000
• Outcomes
• Formation of ACTION TEAMS

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Ag Summit 2000

• OUTCOMES (top 4 of 45)
• Provincial, science-based standards for Confined
  Livestock Operations
• Retention of agricultural land
• Alberta farmers rewarded with stewardship
  incentives
• Develop provincial land use strategies
• 15 Action Teams (12 in the end) established to
  develop action plans

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Ag Summit 2000
Banner Alberta Farmers Rewarded with
Stewardship Incentives for Ensuring Sustainable
Land Management In addition to producing food,
landowners provide clean air, clean water,
watershed protection, carbon storage,
agro-forestry, alternate energy
(bio-fuel, bio-gas, wind), co-products
(manure,fiber), woodlots, wetlands, recreation
opportunities, eco-tourism
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THE TEAM

• Environmental
• Stewardship
• Action
• Team

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Environmental Stewardship ACTION TEAM

• Christine Mitzner, Earthkeeping, Producer
• Earl ODonnel, Producer,
• Co. of Warner
• Kim Cunningham-Good Nature Conservancy
• Emma Hulit, Producer,
• Reeve, Co. of Warner
• Jack Hayden, President, AAMDC, Producer
• Karen Haugen-Kozyra, Sean Murphy, AAFRD
• Richard Dixon A.Env
• Les Brost, Facilitator

• Gordon Kerr, Alberta Woodlot Association
• Ernie Ewaschuk, Land Stewardship Centre of Canada
• Dean Lien, Farmers Advocate
• Jim Smith, Producer, Consultant
• Marika Brenneis, Producer, Brenneis Farms
• Wilhelm Vohs, Producer
• Glenn Pauley, SALTS
• Ed Armstrong, Producer
• John Kolk, Producer

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THE RATIONALE
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Where did we start?

• Reviewed Concept Plan developed by LSCC
• Scanned Other Jurisdictions for ideas
• Developed a Vision, Mission Statement, Goals and
  Strategies
• Obtained comments from original marketplace
  backers from Ag Summit, June 7-8, 2000
• Completed an Action Plan March, 2002

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LSCC Conceptal Plan for Rural and Ag
Sustainability

• Maintenance/Restoration of ecological functions
• Restoration of Wetlands, Water Courses and
  Riparian Areas
• Restoration of Wooded Areas
• Establishment of a Carbon Credit System
• Green Certification Program for Municipalities
• Environmental Farm Plan

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European Union

• PAYS FOR
• Farmed landscapes
• Landscape features
• Biological diversity
• Historical/cultural farmland features
• Protection against disasters
• Employment
• Prevention of depopulation of rural areas

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Australia

• Programs under the National Heritage Trust are
• Bushcare The National Vegetation Initiative
• Endangered Species Program
• Farm Forestry Program
• Murray-Darling 2001- Watershed Mgmt.
• National Feral Animal Control Program
• National Reserve System Program
• National Landcare Program - Agri-environmental
• National Land and Water Resources Audit
• National Weeds Program
• National Wetlands Program

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U.S.A.

• Programs funded under U.S. Farm Bill
• Wetlands Reserve Program
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP)
• Forestry Incentives Program
• Conservation of Private Grazing Land
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
• USDA's Natural Resources Programs
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• Wetland Conservation (Swampbuster)
• Farmland Protection Program
• Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC)
• Conservation Security Act
• Farmland Stewardship Program

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What are the Desires?

• Ag Industry
• Recognition for stewardship
• Fair compensation for habitat protection
• Clean water and air
• Fair prices for products
• Self-sustaining industry
• Confidence in food production systems
• Right to farm

• Society
• Biodiversity
• Habitat preservation
• Clean water and air
• Safe food
• Inexpensive food
• Self-sustaining industry
• Confidence in food production systems
• Accountability

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What are the Concerns?

• Society
• Environmental risks and challenges are growing
• Public confidence in the environmental integrity
  of agriculture is at risk
• Canada lags behind OECD countries in investment
  in environmental issues

• Ag Industry
• Cost/price squeeze is a barrier to stewardship
• Current farm support produces perverse incentives
• Consolidation and globalization of food production

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We Looked for Common Threads between Agriculture
Society

• Desires and Concerns provided a basis for looking
  at how to meet the needs of both sectors
• Society needs environmental goods and services
• Agriculture is, or could provide those needs

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Paradigm Shift Needed!
To Avoid the Tragedy of the Commons
Society is willing to share the responsibility
and pay producers who provide Environmental Goods
and Services

• Land managers are expected to provide clean air,
  water and a healthy landscape and bear most of
  the costs

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Paradigm Shift Needed!
To Sustain Environment and Agriculture
Low farm incomes are barriers and impede
stewardship practices that fail to provide an
economic, short term return
Economic return from provision of public goods,
would create a greater opportunity to practice
good stewardship
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Environmental Management Two Main Approaches

• Command and Control - traditional regulatory
  approach
• works best for point source emitters not as
  effective for landscape or non-point source
  pollution

• 2. Economic Instruments - influencing
  behavioural (paradigm) change
• may be better suited to agricultural activities,
  sustainable landscape management, and
  environmental goods and services production

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Environmental Management Global Trends

• Shift away from regulatory to market-based
  instruments
• Harness the force of the marketplace to achieve
  environmental goals
• Agri-environmental policy elsewhere is broadening
  farm support to include environmental goods and
  services
• MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY

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THE PLAN

• SEE all 12 Team ACTION PLANS at
• www.agrivantage.ab.ca

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Environmental Stewardship ACTION TEAM
Vision
Society values environmental goods and services
provided by rural land managers
Mission
Develop a framework that allows society to pay
for environmental goods and services provided by
managers of agricultural landscapes
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GOALS
Environmental Stewardship ACTION TEAM

• Land managers understand the present and
  potential benefits and financial opportunities
  from producing environmental goods and services
  (EGS)
• Society accepts that managers of agricultural
  landscapes and viable rural communities help to
  achieve everyones environmental goals
• EGS have value through market-based solutions,
  incentives and other economic instruments
• Policy barriers that limit the development of EGS
  are identified and removed

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POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION EXISTING EXAMPLES

• New York City Watershed Agricultural Council
• Landowner Habitat Program/DU/NAWMP
• Permanent Cover Program
• Endangered Species Recovery Programs
• Municipal Tax Reduction programs
• Carbon Credits Trading

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COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER PROGRAMS

• Agriculture Agri-Food Canada
• Agricultural Policy Framework
• Green Cover Program
• Farm Safety Net Programs
• National Round Table Economy Environment
• Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture
• Environmental Farm Plan
• Agriculture Food Council (AB.)
• Expert committee looked at EGS/risks
• AB Agriculture and Rural Development
• Obtained support from other departments
• Taking concept to Standing Policy Committee

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OUTCOMES

• Improved and sustainable environment
• A sustained resource base for ag production
• Producer gets fair return for public goods
• Habitat becomes part of the ag landscape
• Public assists with payments for EGS
• Increased urban/rural understanding
• Compatibility with farm safety-net programs
• Global competitiveness (WTO, NAFTA etc.)

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THANK YOU!
Land Stewardship Centre of Canada