Media Clipping — Thursday July.31st, 2008, The News (Pictou County)

Local becomes even more crucial

The tides slowly licking away at Nova Scotia’s shorelines can’t be any worse than the loss of farmland to development.

A report from a provincial research group presents an urgent appeal in a report on the agricultural base: use it or lose it. GPI Atlantic, a Halifax-based non-profit research group, warns that the loss of this valuable land base for food production to development presents a slippery slope. Jennifer Scott, a farmer and author of the report released Wednesday, says Nova Scotia has the potential to feed itself, but will lose that ability if it continues to lose productive land. This dilemma has often been raised, particularly in reference to the Annapolis Valley. Scott also said the impending loss underlines the importance of buying more local produce.

That concept has been getting increased attention: people hear such pitches as the ‘hundred-mile diet’ – trying to buy as much food as possible within a 100-mile radius.

Local becomes even more crucial with rising food and transportation costs, as the report warns.

The report offers recommendations: such as attaching an easement to prime agricultural land so that it can’t enter the real estate market and fall prey to urban development. Another suggestion is for various levels of government to come together and purchase development rights for farm land to see that it remains in production.

It sounds convoluted, and it’s hard to imagine politicians flocking toward this as a solution. Nevertheless, most are beginning to recognize the need for some solution – and the importance of food security. Losing that forces consumers to pay whatever asking price from the jurisdictions that have conserved their farm land. People need to press politicians on this issue.

Also to keep in mind: those who sell the farm often do so because they aren’t making money farming. That’s another call to consumers – not buying local produce is extremely short-sighted.

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