Outgoing KAP President: Farmers Have Many Answers to Fight Climate Change

By

Harry

Siemens

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) met to host its 39th annual meeting on January 24 and 25 at Delta Hotels in Winnipeg. Delegates elected a new executive team, Kevin Stott joining Jake Ayre as vice presidents, and KAP’s first female President, Jill Verwey.

“I want to thank our delegates from across the province for attending the 2023 AGM this week to connect, listen to engaging panels focused on the most pressing issues for our sector, and for putting their faith in me to lead our organisation into the future as we look to tackle the challenges ahead of us,” said Verwey.

There were panels focused on environmental stewardship, sustainability, public trust, and more. Speakers included Manitoba farmers alongside national experts in food security, sustainability, soil science, leadership and public policy.

Outgoing president Bill Campbell a cattle and grain farmer from Minto, MB focused on some challenges in his last president’s address.

“What are some of the big challenges that we have to face right now as farmers that we can expect will only intensify in years to come?” said Campbell. “And why does what we do as an industry matter?”

The burning issues that come to mind are around sustainability and environmental stewardship by producers, specifically, how the government is setting policy and the public dis- course in society and how all this affects public trust in the farming sector.

“Are we ready as an industry to take on these challenges?” asked Campbell.

“Unfortunately, these areas of concern in agriculture are at the forefront right now.”

While these issues are a focus, farmers must ensure the economic viability of production while striving towards food security commitments in Canada and around the globe; this is why what farmers do matters he said.

Campbell said the KAP team continues working with farmer members and partner organizations to advance priorities and solutions that address these challenges.

“As farmers, we strive to ensure the sustainability of the lands we work and harvest,” he said. “Our farms are our livelihoods, and without continued prosperity of the crops and products we produce, we could not continue to earn a living and generate the billions in economic activity that agriculture produces here in Manitoba.”

Campbell said agriculture is an industry focused on science-based technology and practices, which others in conversations with those not connected to the farm sometimes, need help understanding. Every day, farmers are practising more sustainable methods like 4R Nutrient Stewardship he noted. The number of farmers using these practices like variable-rate application and regular soil testing continues to grow yearly.

In 2021, 54 per cent of canola growers in western Canada indicated they were following basic 4R practices. Thirty-four per cent of western Canadian wheat growers are soil sampling for nitrogen annually.

“Are we perfect? No. But we keep making progress,” said Campbell. “There’s certainly more to do, but organizations like ours are ready to do the work necessary to support farmers as they adopt higher use of sustainable practices and the advocacy with decisionmakers to ensure they are aware of ongoing work.”

He that society must recognize that agriculture has the answer to many of these environmental and climate challenges while working towards reducing emissions and still maintaining and growing food production output.

“We must tackle this headon, but we must always ensure the economic viability of all the hard work that we do as farmers doesn’t get forgotten by policy-makers as they try to solve environmental and sustainability challenges,” said Campbell.

Farmers and others in the sector need the opportunity from the government and other decision-makers to provide input and help in the decision-making process as society tackles these and other challenges.

“We are here to work with government and industry to advance our common interests and not pit each other against one another,” said Campbell.