New report proposes national agri-food water strategy
- Media Manager
- Oct 30, 2023
- 1 min read
The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute says farmers have been let down by the lack of a national plan
Alberta Farmer
Written By: Ed White
Published: October 31st, 2023
Photo Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
Canada should use its enormous water resources to become a sustainable food powerhouse and a global water research superpower, says a new paper from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.
The country’s water policies, management and research efforts are underdeveloped and uncoordinated, it said, which leaves water resources and challenges largely unaddressed.
That’s something a national plan should fix, says the report written by Tyler McCann, Angele Poirier and Nicolas Mesly.
“Water security underpins food security and national security and should be considered a strategic asset. Without adequate availability and quality of water, food production and export are impossible,” says the report, A National Agri-Food Water Action Plan, released Oct. 23.
“The greatest impact will be achieved when governments work together.”
Canada has no national water policy despite numerous attempts to link water management approaches over the decades.
“Canada has a fragmented and siloed model for water management,” says the report.
The strategy calls for federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers to work together to develop a pan-Canadian policy that will address the fractured situation.
