#2 Environment

[parsley]

If you go to
http://www.agr.gc.ca/puttingcanadafirst

You will see a Government plan for agriculture at this site. After you read it, feel free to make your comments about the topic "Environmenty" in this thread.
Parsley

[charliep]

The following are the goals coming out of this section.

"An approach to improved environmental performance on farms

Because of the many benefits associated with a consistent approach, the Ministers of Agriculture have committed to work together and with industry towards a set of common goals for improving environmental performance on farms. These meaningful and measurable goals aim to achieve improvements in the quality of our water, soil and air, and in biodiversity. Specific areas where progress towards these goals could be demonstrated are:

Water: Reduce agricultural risks to the health of water resources. Key priorities are nutrients, pathogens and pesticides.
Soil: Reduce agricultural risks to the health of soils. Key priorities are soil erosion and soil organic matter.
Air: Reduce agricultural risks to the health of air and the atmosphere. Key priorities are particulate emissions, odours, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Biodiversity: To ensure compatibility between biodiversity and agriculture, which is the primary user of farm land. Key priorities are wildlife habitat, species at risk, and economic damage to agriculture from wildlife.
To ensure progress towards the common goals, Ministers of Agriculture propose the following:

Farm Planning: an increase in the use of environmental farm planning, regional environmental management plans, or equivalent increase in the coverage of such environmental plans;
Nutrient Management: an increase in the use of beneficial manure management practices and fertilizer management practices, nutrient management plans and the degree to which nutrient application is in balance with need;
Pest Management: an increase in the use of beneficial pest and pesticide management practices;
Land and Water Management: a decrease in the number of bare-soil days on farm land, an increase in no-till or conservation tillage, and improved management of riparian areas, grazing lands and water use; and
Nuisance Management: the adoption of better management practices to reduce odours and particulate emissions."

A note that the move is to being target and measure based. When industry/government has signed on, we will be accountable for achieving.

Are you comfortable with these? What are the implications for your business? Where does industry responsibility stop and government start?

[countryguy]

Reading through this makes me think someone in gov't has read a book or taken a course in holistic management.The one thing that concerns me about this whole deal is the "increased use of beneficial pesticides."What is their idea of a beneficial pesticide and just because they think a pesticide is beneficial are others going to be in agreement?

[countryguy]

This subject is a touchie one. If you talk about it you better have your back against the wall. Its like talking about religion or politics you are always wrong. Just like a hockey referee who is 50% wrong everytime he blows the whistle.

Now on a positive note the enviroment has inproved alot in the past 25 years from where I have been watching the show. But everyone needs to keep doing there part as we go along but I don,t like to see it legislated into being a very expensive project.

I think it can be done very well by our research, testing and approval of new and old products. Lets better our checking system rather than putting another expensive burden on the farmer.