“We trust our report, combining the goals of land use policy with environmental stewardship tools, will contribute towards improved environmental management that guarantees that all sectors of the industry will remain viable and profitable for future generations,” said EPIP Chair Kenton Ziegler.
Reviewing Land Use and Environmental Stewardship in Agriculture: Observations from the 2007 Public Consultation builds on ideas in reports published by a former Council committee: Recognizing and Supporting Environmental Stewardship within the Agri-Food Industry, and Land Use Policy and the Agri-Food Industry in Alberta. All three reports are available at www.agfoodcouncil.com.
Seven core recommendations emerged from the public consultation:
· An integrated provincial land use planning agency with government and industry representation;
· A province-wide inventory of natural capital;
· Environmental stewardship principles as part of the foundation for future economic development and land use decision-making;
· Appropriate incentives to ensure and foster sound environmental stewardship;
· Pilot projects testing the merits of alternative stewardship options;
· Review of current land use and environmental stewardship policy effectiveness; and
· Communication activities highlighting “good news” on agricultural land use and environmental stewardship.
The Council is a unique agent with a vision for Alberta’s agriculture and food industry to be globally competitive, profitable and sustainable. To help realize this vision, the Council has developed partnerships with industry and governments. It operates a number of targeted programs and initiatives, and is increasingly recognized by industry stakeholders as a catalyst for policy discussions on important issues affecting the industry. EPIP is funded jointly by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development (CARD) fund and Alberta Agriculture and Food.
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For more information, please contact:
Miriam Esquitín, EPIP Manager
Agriculture and Food Council
Phone Toll-Free: (866) 955-3714 ext. 227
E-mail: epip@agfoodcouncil.com
