Different stakeholders and partners, including growers, food manufacturers, exporters and First Nations representatives come together to work at the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, to advance the understanding of organic food systems and the conditions they need to flourish,
An exponential increase in demand for organic food products is driving a variety of innovative research projects in organic farming methods at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Land and Food Systems."People are increasingly aware of the personal and ecological benefits of organic food and organic farming sowe need to supply the next generation of farmers with the tools and expertise they need to be productive and profitable in this environment," says Dr. Hannah Wittman, academic director at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.
Organic soil amendments are a particular area of interest. Soils eventually become depleted of the nutrients plants need, and researchers are looking for ways to replenish them with inputs that comply with organic certification. The university is also looking at different mulching materials – soil-surface barriers that act as both weed suppressants and water conservation tools. Another field of investigation is the organic seed varieties project charged with increasing the quality and quantity of disease- and pest-resistant seeds that can survive and thrive in the organic environment in the variable soil conditions found in different geographic locations.
Different stakeholders and partners, including growers, food manufacturers, exporters and First Nations representatives come together to work at the UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, to advance the understanding of organic food systems and the conditions they need to flourish. UBC
Wittman adds that the university conducts its research at UBC Farm in collaboration with a variety of different stakeholders and partners, including growers, manufacturers, exporters and First Nations representatives. "They are important both in terms of project support and in identifying key challenges. They are the ones who are going to implement the technologies we develop," says Wittman. "We are sensitive to what communities and industry need, and we try to provide solutions that meet the ideals of sustainability that our mandate requires." She adds that a community of partners is investing generously to build UBC Farm's capacity.
A particularly supportive partner has been Nature's Path Foods in Richmond, British Columbia, the largest organic breakfast and snack food company in North America. "My wife Ratana and I have pledged $2-million toward the UBC Farm," says co-CEO Arran Stephens. "We're doing it partly because we want to help preserve the largest – and one of the last – working farms in Vancouver, and partly because we want to help the UBC Farm increase its ability to serve the community and transform local and global food systems towards sustainability."
And the way to do that, he adds, is by growing and training future organic agriculturalists supporting agricultural research, and enhancing the credibility of organic agriculture. "We need to help young farmers learn how to get started how to be financially viable, and how to adopt the latest agricultural techniques."
Wittman says UBC Farm is always "reaching out to other potential partners who share its goals." The university is also looking at ways to "expand the discipline" by introducing organics as a concept to students in nutrition and marketing courses.
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Feed the world, save the bees
There are many interacting causes behind the decline of bees, but heavy pesticide use and the predominance of vast single crop acreages are two of the most significant factors, says Dr. Mark Winston, author of the award-winning Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive.
Conventional agriculture advocates often suggest that organic farming is impractical given global food security challenges, but new studies prove that argument to be flawed, says Dr. Winston, a bee biologist and professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.
For example, one University of California study that analyzed 1,071 organic versus conventional yield comparisons from 115 studies found that the difference was less than 10 per cent for organic farms that used multi-cropping and crop rotation systems. “As the authors note, this has been achieved without the benefit of the research empires and extensive government subsidies that have supported conventional growers,” says Dr. Winston. “Appropriate investment could greatly reduce or eliminate the yield gap.”
Another extensive study from Washington State University found that the higher premiums received for organic food make it between 22 per cent and 35 per cent more profitable for growers.
“Organic options will not only save the bees by reducing pesticide use and diversifying crops, but will provide the kind of agriculture that benefits us all, growers and consumers alike,” says Dr. Winston. |
JOIN IN National Organic Week events are happening all across the country. Visit organicweek.ca to find one in your area. |
Organic Week at L’Acadie Vineyards Visit the first and only certified organic winery in Nova Scotia to taste the products and learn about organic grape growing and winemaking. Open Garden Day at Les Jardins de la Montagne Guided tour of the organic farm and presentation by owner Sylvain Brunet on plant physiology and nutrition, organic farming and the benefits of eating organic. What’s Organic About Organic? Community info session and dialogue about what organic means, with Tegan Renner of ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network).
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This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.