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 has a significant impact on our environment.  Think of the impacts of synthetic fertilizers on water and soil, greenhouse gas emissions involved in mechanized food production, or the impacts of pesticide residues on plants and animals.  Further, the average Manitoba food crop 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. 

With the industrialization of our food systems rural population are shrinking and rural depopulation is a growing phenomenon that most parts of North America have been experiencing for decades.  There are 28.4% fewer farm families in Manitoba today than there was 20 years ago.  Young people are leaving family farms and rural communities in growing numbers, for education and employment, 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 to flounder and die. 

Without vital, sustainable, food producing rural communities we lose control of our food supply and traditions and are forced to rely on others who have no connection to or sense of value for the unique challenges and gifts a region offers.  

Two uniquely Manitoba initiatives that address rural issues can be explored in further detail in the sidebars to the left.