Good afternoon. My name is Maria José Maezo, and I am an agri-environmental consultant at Fédération de l’UPA Outaouais-Laurentides. I am here on behalf of the farmers in my region, which encompasses the Outaouais, the Laurentians, Montreal and Laval. The region is home to 2,500 farms, 3,500 farmers and 3.3 million residents.
Even though farmers represent less than 0.1% of the population, they shoulder significant environmental responsibilities. Agriculture is often singled out as a source of pollution, and farmers are required to implement many solutions to address environmental concerns. I am here today to talk about what farmers need in terms of production and support. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Union des producteurs agricoles. A demonstration was held under the slogan “we are central to the solution”. Farmers are ready to contribute to the solutions, but they need support, especially on the ground.
A very clear message I've heard today is that the multiple levels of government make the regulatory landscape much more complicated. It's harder and harder for farmers on the ground to deal with the various levels of government in order to comply with all the rules and regulations that apply to them. It is also harder for us to advise and support them in implementing solutions, in accordance with current, but ever-changing, regulations.
The first thing farmers want Canada to do is this: do everything possible to prioritize the protection of farmland. Our land, in particular, is quite fragmented and very much impacted by urban development as well as commercial and industrial development. That development affects water quality and, thus, access to clean water.
For example, on the island of Laval, it's impossible in certain areas to access the river. The groundwater isn't good enough, so farmers have to rely on the water supply system for their irrigation needs, which is very expensive. The situation in Kanesatake came up earlier. The community is in a vibrant agricultural area, in Oka. The contaminated site impacts water downstream [Technical difficulty—Editor].