CALGARY — Switching to organic is on the rise for Alberta farmers, but a new wave of regenerative farming that goes beyond cutting out chemicals is raising the question of what organic really means.
Between 2014 and 2017, around 20 Alberta farms switched to organic, according to Tia Loftsgard, executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. By 2017, the number of organic growers had almost doubled, and she said new data now being analyzed continues that trend.
All three Prairie provinces have recorded more than 28 per cent growth between 2015 and 2017, said Loftsgard, and Alberta accounts for about 30 per cent of all organic acreage in the Prairies.
Though switching to organic farming is often seen as an environmental or ethical decision, Loftsgard said the recent growth is largely due to farmers making smart business decisions. Consumer demand for Alberta’s organic food is growing locally and internationally, especially for wheat and oats, and 50 per cent of the total demand comes from Canada and the United States, she said.
Brenda Tjaden is an agricultural economist and the founder of Sustainable Grain, a consulting firm that helps farmers transition to organic and regenerative practices. She said there is a lack of proper training for new organic farmers, and that many don’t realize there’s more to sustainable farming than just ceasing chemical use.
Tjaden became interested in organic agriculture around 2014, when she noticed consumer demand was driving larger grocery stores to expand their organic products. However, when she noticed most of the product was coming from overseas, Tjaden realized there was a gap between local demand and local production.
“Surely we can do better,” she thought to herself then, noting that many consumers choose organic based on a set of values that often include environmental concerns, making shipping produce from thousands of kilometres away a little bit hypocritical.
Tjaden said she has also seen assumptions about organic farming change as more and more conventional farmers make the switch.
“You have conventional and organic farmers sitting shoulder to shoulder all talking about soil health and species diversity,” she said, later adding that there’s historically been a stigma on organic farmers in some circles of conventional farming. But she is seeing that stigma fade away as conventional farmers begin to learn more about organic and regenerative agriculture.
“When they actually start networking with other organic farmers … I find they can be pretty pleasantly surprised at the level of knowledge and professionalism, the level of sophistication that they find within the organic community,” she said.
Organic farming today is a blend of old and new, explained Tjaden — old farming practices that are being recovered, and often cutting-edge research and technology. And it’s not just better for the soil, it’s better for business.
Cutting out chemicals is just the start, said Tjaden. She said farmers who embrace regenerative practices alongside regulated organic farming are seeing financial benefits.
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