We are no longer in 1960, a decade of systemic transformation that led to the current agri-food system. Even today, it is time for change. The question on everyone’s lips: what change? A throwback? No. A new system of diversified agriculture? Maybe.
The outline of an answer can be found in Outaouais, that agricultural region in southwestern Quebec. As for the rest of the province, farms in Ouatouais remain very concentrated and centered on beef and dairy production. There are 897 farms registered with MAPAQ in Outaouais, with an annual decrease in the number of farms at a rate of 2.2%, compared to 3.5% in Quebec. However, for companies whose main activity is cattle breeding, the drop is 13%, while the era is one of innovation for a more diversified, sustainable and resilient agri-food sector supported by efforts by governments of all orders.
Visionaries or reactionaries, the new generations?
The Pronovost report on agriculture is based on a collection of 800 interviews (including 770 memoirs) with the main players in the industry. The report identified the need for a relaxation of the current legal framework, based on the protection of agricultural land, industrial agriculture and supply management, to allow innovation in agriculture. The Quebec government did not act on these recommendations. This has not prevented a panoply of new models from seeing the light of day since: from the artisanal family farm to agrotourism via hydroponics and urban agriculture.
It is estimated that 44.7% of agricultural businesses in the Outaouais had gross agricultural revenues of less than $24,999 in 2016, compared to 28.3% for all of Quebec. In addition, less than a quarter of farms report using pesticides, while nearly half across Quebec do.
One of the best ways to understand the agri-food transition is to meet this new generation of farmers. From my informal interviews and field work with small-scale farmers in the region, I learned that there are a large number of farms with innovative ecological models. The Juniper Farm, near Wakefield, draws an image of our peasant past, while the Green Country Farm, in Quyon, adds modern cultivation techniques with greenhouses. Finally, how can we forget the Tropical Farm, where tropical vegetables never seen here in Quebec grow and which has an African-style crowdfunding model where the shareholders are the beneficiaries.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are huge agricultural enterprises, such as Willow Hollow Farm and Gladcrest Farms in Shawville, which are among the largest dairy producers in the region. Scott Judd, owner of Glad Crest Farms, has just launched an ecological vineyard, called Little Red Wagon Winery, with an agritourism perspective. For its part, the Willow Hollow Farm combines ethical farming and ecology: it is currently part of a pilot project that is testing a system for recycling hay bale cutlery. It is therefore not only small producers who innovate on the ecological side.
The undeniable appeal of food self-sufficiency
Needless to say, the past two years have been quite turbulent with the pandemic and protests in Ottawa. The food supply system has not been spared. Changing consumer habits, labor shortages, inflation, business and border closures are destabilizing the traditional long chain of bringing food to your plate. According to Statistics Canada, a third of food businesses expect supply difficulties for the rest of the summer of 2022, from wholesaler to retailer to restaurateur.
A simple visit to the grocery store will make you notice another very alarming problem: the spectacular inflation of agri-food products of 5.7% on average. Yet our current farming system is based on the idea of producing more for less. Something is missing.
A collective mobilization towards sustainable development
The government is not blind, all levels of government are mobilizing on the issues of inflation and supply in a context of climate change.
At the regional level, there is a trend towards agrotourism and sustainable development. The first action taken by Pontiac MNA Sophie Chatel and her colleagues from Outaouais was to prepare a regional plan. A first round table on agriculture has taken place and public consultations have already been launched. This democratic and participative initiative seems promising.
Finally, at the provincial level, the Quebec government’s sustainable agriculture plan provides significant funding in agriculture for an ecological transition including (in Canadian dollars): 30 million for research, 75 million in incentives for producers who wish to adopt ecological measures and 25 million reserved for technical transfers in agroecology. The UPA and Équiterre have hailed this plan as a good step in the right direction, although there is still a long way to go and the amount of funding is lower than expected.
That being said, with organic products making up 1.5% of Quebec’s agri-food supply and a small number of producers exclusively using short circuits, it is too early to throw industrial agriculture into oblivion. The future will be determined by the interaction between the ecological and local agri-food system and the industrial system. More specifically, it will be necessary to capitalize on the strengths and weaknesses of the two systems with a view to food sovereignty, a priority already recognized by the MAPAQ under Pauline Marois.