Introduction
Reducing environmental risks and exploring new environmental opportunities in the agricultural industry is a key pillar of the APF. Programs and services are funded and delivered by the federal and/or provincial governments, and industry stakeholder organizations.
Goals of the Environment Chapter of the APF include:
- meaningful and measurable improvements in soil, water, air quality and the industry's impact on biodiversity;
- researching and developing new on-farm beneficial management practices, and
- making environmental information available for better land use planning and management.
Over the life of the Agricultural Policy Framework, the federal and provincial governments will have provided $30 million in support for environmental farm planning to help producers identify and address potential environmental risks.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
Environmental Farm Planning (EFP)
Environmental farm planning is a voluntary and confidential process used by individual farmers to manage their operations in an environmentally responsible manner. Producers who develop an EFP have an increased awareness of environmental risks and benefits on the farm, and potential solutions for managing them.
Through program workshops and one-on-one meetings, farmers receive technical assistance and guidance to:
- perform an environmental assessment of their farm operation outlining their risks and benefits; and
- develop an action plan to set priorities to mitigate agri-environmental risks.
Farmers with EFPs are eligible to apply for financial assistance to implement beneficial management practices (BMP’s) through the National Farm Stewardship and Greencover Canada programs.
The EFP program is funded through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia by federal and provincial governments, and it is delivered by the B.C. Agriculture Council. The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has developed reference material, workbooks and guides in support of the EFP program.
Materials are available on the Ministry website.
For more information:
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
BC Agriculture Council (BCAC):
Niels Holbek
Tel: (250) 334-6547
Fax: (250) 337-5710
Email
Ron Bertrand
Cell: (604) 308-6755
Fax: (604) 852-1385
Email
BCAC EFP Programs Website >>
Beneficial Management Practice (BMP) Programs
Farmers can receive financial assistance to implement on-farm beneficial management practices to address environmental risks and benefits identified in their Environmental Farm Plans. Financial assistance is provided through National Farm Stewardship and Greencover Canada programs, and delivered by the B.C. Agriculture Council.
Beneficial management practices (BMPs) are farm management practices that:
- minimize and mitigate impacts and risks to the environment, by maintaining or improving the quality of soil, water, air and biodiversity;
- ensure the long term health and sustainability of natural resources used for agricultural production; and,
- support the long-term economic and environmental viability of the agriculture industry.
Producers who have a completed and reviewed environmental farm plan or equivalent agri-environmental plan may be eligible to apply for BMPs covered by the National Farm Stewardship Program and Greencover Canada to implement beneficial management practices identified in their environmental farm plan.
Through these programs, approved applicants are eligible for a maximum of $50,000 in federal funding. Federal cost-shares are 30% or 50% of eligible project costs, depending on the BMP category being applied for.
National Farm Stewardship Program (NFSP)
The National Farm Stewardship Program (NFSP) provides financial assistance to support adoption of a wide variety of beneficial management practices by agricultural producers and land managers.
The list of BMP categories that qualify for funding under this program include: land management for soils at risk; improved cropping systems, cover crops, improved pest management, nutrient recovery from waste water, irrigation management, invasive alien species control, enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity, species at risk, preventing wildlife damage, integrated pest management planning, soil erosion and salinity control planning, biodiversity enhancement planning and irrigation management planning.
Greencover Canada
Greencover Canada is a national program that helps producers improve grassland-management practices, protect water quality, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and enhance biodiversity and wildlife habitat.
The list of BMP categories that qualify for funding through this program inlcude: Riparian area management, erosion control structures, grazing management planning and shelterbelt establishment.
For more information:
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada website
BC Agriculture Council:
Niels Holbek
Tel: (250) 334-6547
Fax: (250) 337-5710
Email
Ron Bertrand
Cell: (604) 308-6755
Fax: (604) 852-1385
Email
Additional funding for selected BMP’s is available through Ducks Unlimited Canada. For information, download the Ducks Unlimited Canada BMP list on their website.
National Land and Water Information Service
The National Land and Water Information Service is a resource for farmers and others with an interest in agricultural land use. It does not provide funding or direct programming.
This four-year project, which began in May 2005, is an Internet portal to provide producers and land managers with information, data, tools and expertise to help them make sustainable land-use decisions. Current on-line resources include: Agri-Environmental Indicators, The Crop Condition Assessment Program, The Dugout and Pasture Conditions, The Land Resource Viewer, the National Ecological Framework for Canada, The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network, Plant Hardiness Zone maps and Soil Landscapes of Canada. Additional resources will become available as the service develops.
Contact:
To use the resources, visit their National Land and Water Information Service website.
| 
