How Could Agri-environmental Policies Evolve?

What will future Canadian agri-environmental policies look like? The answer to this question depends, of course, on who you ask.

There are many models on which future Canadian policy could be based. I’ve encountered a number of them in recent months, through conversations and travels as a Canadian Nuffield Scholar. Some focus on carbon emissions and pricing, others on biodiversity, biofuels, landscape restoration, and such. Based on my observations thus far, it seems many countries, including Canada, are spending too many resources designing deliverables, and not enough on the structures which will enable us to achieve those deliverables, whatever we determine them to be. 

When it comes to agri-environmental policy, I am increasingly convinced genuine environmental improvements will only be achieved if we first make other significant investments – specifically, engaging farmers directly when designing programs, the development of a flexible and streamlined way of participating in all programing, and increasing the administrative and extension capacity of those delivering that programming.