The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board has launched a plan to balance land demands in the area
By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Last week, the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board’s (EMRB’s) task force began developing its plan to prioritize agriculture and land preservation.
The task force will collaborate with the ag community to protect the sector from land development and strengthen its potential through the creation of an Ag Master Plan, a board release said.
The board analysed the opportunities and challenges the agriculture and the food communities face in the region, the release said.
“Agriculture is a critical economic driver and, it can be an even (greater) contributor to the region’s success if it is treated as a priority area,” Jerry Bouma of Toma & Bouma Consultants, which is managing the RAMP project, said in the release.
The region’s ag industry is impacted by the rising global demand for food and the consolidation of the agriculture and food industries, he said.
RAMP will prioritize agriculture by recognizing the importance of land preservation for long-term sustainability. The plan will also acknowledge the constant evolution of the ag industry.
“We’ve been oil and gas for so long, but agriculture was here long before that, and to be honest, agriculture is going to be here long after that’s gone,” Neal Sarnecki, the acting CEO for EMRB, said in a Global News article yesterday.
“So, it’s important that we support that, and continue to highlight and raise the profile of the ag industry in this region.”
The team intends to create a 50-year vision, the release said.
RAMP’s draft vision will be delivered to the board for approval before the end of the year.