Regulatory Demands Making Agriculture More Difficult

Doctor Steve Savage had a few things to say about government regulation at this week’s semi-annual Grain Farmers of Ontario meeting in London.

Dr. Savage talked about the concept of social license that he feels is creating an environment in which regulatory demands are making it increasingly difficult for the agriculture industry to function.

“Social license, as I understand it and the way it applies to agriculture, is the ability of an industry to function in an economically viable way without intrusive sort of regulatory limits or societal limits that compromise its ability just to serve its customers.”

Savage went on to say that vested interests and public perception are frequently the determining factors that impact regulation and development.

Throughout the body of his work, Dr. Savage is trying to improve the level of understanding between the agricultural sector and consumers.

He believes that a cooperative effort between environmental groups and farmers would lead to a far more positive result than any which could be achieved otherwise.