There’s no food without water

BC Agriculture Council and BC Dairy launch campaign putting water security in the election spotlight

Vancouver, BC – September 17, 2024: Today, on behalf of farmers and ranchers across the province, BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) and BC Dairy jointly announced a new campaign calling on all political parties to endorse Agricultural Water Reserves (AWRs) in BC.

As a part of the campaign, the organizations have released a new website, No Food Without Water, where British Columbians can send a letter to their local candidates, asking them to support the creation of AWRs to help permanently protect food production and support farmers and ranchers here in BC.

“Agricultural producers face a number of real challenges, but none pose such an existential threat as drought and the need for guaranteed access to water,” said Danielle Synotte, Executive Director of BCAC. “This is about protecting the ability of local farmers to grow food and feed our neighbours. It’s time for an Agricultural Water Reserve, to ensure farmers have the water they need to fill our grocery shelves for generations to come.”

“Dairy farmers, like all farmers, need a reliable water supply to produce local food,” added Jeremy Dunn, General Manager for BC Dairy. “With a provincial election underway, we are calling on candidates from all parties to commit to protecting water for agricultural production at a level consistent with that of drinking water.”

Over the last number of summers, British Columbia has faced an unprecedented increase in water scarcity, prompting the province to implement water restrictions, in some cases even including the curtailment of agricultural irrigation. During prime growing seasons, the restrictions on water for farms stunts crop growth and reduces the amount of food BC farmers and ranchers can produce.

Modelled after BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve, Agricultural Water Reserves (AWRs) would protect access to water in agricultural regions across British Columbia, ensuring farming has priority access during times of drought. AWRs will help to protect and enhance food security in BC, foster generational sustainability for agriculture, and ensure hard- working farmers have the financial stability they need to survive and thrive.

In addition to AWRs, BCAC and BC Dairy are also calling for the implementation of legislation recognizing agriculture as a distinct category of water use. At the local and regional level, Water Sustainability Plans should be developed in close collaboration with farmers and ranchers to ensure both food and water security for affected communities.

The next BC government should also create supports for large-scale water storage on farms, upgrade and modernize existing water infrastructure, and invest in farm and community-level water infrastructure, including reservoirs, to ensure water availability.

To learn more about Agricultural Water Reserves and support water security, please visit nofoodwithoutwater.ca and sign the letter.

About BC Agriculture Council
BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) delivers a unified voice to government for British Columbia’s agriculture sector. We represent 30 unique commodity groups whose membership is in turn comprised of about 20,000 farm families, together accounting for 96% of farm gate sales in our province. Our mission is to grow a strong, sustainable, and competitive agriculture sector through building industry consensus and advancing public policy.

About BC Dairy
BC Dairy is a not-for-profit association that represents BC’s dairy farmers, works to grow the market for dairy products and support profitable, environmentally, and socially responsible dairy farm businesses. The Association also brings dairy farmers together while building lasting relationships within their communities. There are 425 dairy farms in BC, supporting 12,500 jobs, and the industry contributes $1.225 billion to the provincial economy (GDP).

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