Victoria, British Columbia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture
As climate conditions change, farmers in the Kootenay and Boundary regions will have more support with planning and preparing for growing crops and raising livestock and poultry.
This support follows development of the development of the Kootenay & Boundary Regional Adaptation Strategies.
Climate change poses a unique challenge to British Columbia farmers. Warmer, drier summers are leading to increased wildfire risks, variable seasonal conditions, new or more abundant pests and changing hydrology. These challenges vary by region and impact farmers differently, depending on where they live in the province.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia are providing $300,000 in funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support projects identified in the Kootenay & Boundary Regional Adaptation Strategies as priority actions for increasing the resilience of producers in the region.
The Kootenay & Boundary Regional Adaptation Strategies planning process, managed by the BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative (CAI), commenced in summer 2018. It brought together farmers from the region to work with local governments and provincial and federal agencies to identify the highest priorities for agricultural adaptation in the region. The planning process identified a set of local sector impacts and priorities, as well as strategies and actions for strengthening resilience.
A working group with 14 representatives from the agricultural sector and regional and provincial governments will oversee development of these projects, and CAI will manage project implementation. Up to eight projects are scheduled for completion in the region by 2022. The Kootenay and Boundary Regional Adaptation Strategies plan is the seventh regional plan developed in the province as part of the Regional Adaptation Program delivered by CAI.
CAI develops tools and resources that increase the capacity of agriculture to adapt to climate change. Funding is provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, and is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC and the BC Agricultural Research & Development Corporation.
Source : Government Of Canada