The annual general meeting of the BC Agriculture Council this week hailed a “transformative year” that saw BCAC’s recent focus on advocacy bear fruit on several fronts.
“Our investment into working proactively on policy development has resulted in the federal and provincial governments increasingly relying upon BCAC for consultation and input,” BCAC executive director Danielle Synotte said in her report to members, noting that “policies, processes and programs adopted by both levels of government” increasingly reflect farmers’ interests.
Besides ongoing areas of concern including production costs, water security and emergency management, BCAC engaged in several unexpected advocacy discussions including changes to regulations under the Agricultural Land Commission Act requiring food processors within the Agricultural Land Reserve to grow at least half their inputs.
“Consultations on this change are ongoing, and efforts by those advocating for the removal of this rule continue,” BCAC president Jennifer Woike says in her own report. “BCAC remains engaged with our membership as this issue evolves, recognizing its potential precedent-setting impacts on the future of agricultural land in BC.”
BCAC’s most significant success of 2024 was launching the premier’s task force on agriculture and the food economy, which stemmed from a submission to the province early last year on the need for a provincial agriculture strategy. Synotte is co-chair of the task force and Woike is a member.
“Our goal is clear: to advance policies and initiatives that will drive competitiveness and growth for BC’s agriculture sector and the people who work within it,” Woike says.
With many of BCAC’s priorities reflected in the mandate letters of ministers at both the provincial and federal levels, Woike said BCAC’s work was clearly bearing fruit.
However, the work must be paid for and the 2025 budget approved at the meeting includes a 5% increase in membership fees as a well as a significant deficit several times last year’s deficit.
Synotte said the council is keeping a tight rein on costs to keep the deficit in check and has also subleased space at its office to reduce overhead.
Among the cost-cutting measures approved at the meeting was forgoing audited financials in favour of having the annual figures simply reviewed by its accountant of record.
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