Why they're important

Farmers are the stewards of the open spaces, soil, and water that sustain us all.  Their practices and actions greatly determine the quality of food consumers eat and the quality of habitats other species rely upon for life.  Sustainable agriculture uses practices which ensure that quality and integrity of farm lands is maintained for generations.  Sustainable methods preserve the vitality and health of the natural systems in which they operate, providing people with access to healthy, safe food for generations.

Indeed, agriculture is an environmental issue because the ways in which food is grown, processed and transported can have significant impacts on our environment.  Further, the average food item travels about 2400 kilometers from field to table, going through several different stages of production and processing before it becomes a food product for purchase in a store or restaurant. Unsustainable practices on this long journey can have negative impacts on our water and soil with unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. 

With consumer demands for cheaper food, the industrialization of our food system, and shrinking rural populations, agricultural communities are struggling. Rural depopulation is a growing phenomenon that most parts of North America have been experiencing for decades with 28.4% fewer farm families in Manitoba today than there was 20 years ago.  As rural depopulation accelerates young people are leaving family farms and rural communities in growing numbers, for employment, education, and to be closer to services that they want or need.  With this exodus of rural people comes a loss in services like schools, health care facilities, and employers, leaving rural regions in a state of decline.

Without vital, sustainable, food producing rural communities we lose control of our food supply and traditions and are forced to rely on others.  

Two uniquely Manitoba initiatives that address rural issues can be explored in further detail in the sidebars to the left.  See the Learn More and Take action buttons, top left, for more information.