Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau Visits British Columbia

From Niklaus Forstbauer, Organic BC’s representative to the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) board of directors:

Federal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau visited British Columbia from May 24 – 27. In Abbotsford, she sat down for a meeting with BCAC producer members in an open discussion about the opportunities and challenges facing the sector, particularly in light of climate change, including the recent flooding. She was especially keen to hear from each producer about how they are adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change to remain resilient (and rebuild), what government supports have been helpful, and what additional supports might be needed.

Minister Bibeau’s visit was a great opportunity to highlight the leading role organic producers have played in a move to more environmentally sustainable and regenerative agriculture—organic producers have pioneered many practices that are now widely used in conventional and organic systems alike. We also took this opportunity to emphasize the importance of federal funding for the organic standards review so that we can continue to strengthen and grow the organic sector.