Victoria – British Columbia (B.C.) farmers and ranchers can better prepare for and mitigate impacts of climate change, while continuing to support the province’s food security and a sustainable environment through funding from the governments of Canada and British Columbia. Funding is available via the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) Program. The BMP Program is now open for its first round of intake applications. There is $4 million available to help producers throughout the province become more resilient and contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment with projects that improve:
- waste management
- air quality control
- emissions control
- soil and riparian integrity
- water quality
- environmental impacts
A change to the program, which has run for more than 15 years, is the elimination of a previous “lifetime cap” on funding. This means that all producers, including previous program participants, are eligible for funding for the upcoming year. Eligible applicants must have a complete environmental farm plan, which helps producers identify environmental strengths and potential risks on their farms and ranches.
With large parts of the province being hit by drought conditions early in the season, farmers and ranchers can apply for BMP projects that pertain to water storage, such as building dugouts and roof rainwater harvesting systems, as well as water conservation, such as improved irrigation system management and irrigation scheduling.
The $4 million in funding is from both the Province’s CleanBC initiative and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). Sustainable CAP is a 5-year (2023–2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. The BMP Program is being delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF). To apply, visit the Beneficial Management Practices Program.
“The Government of Canada is committed to helping our agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of climate change. This investment will offer B.C. farmers the support they need to adapt their operations to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change, while protecting food security and the environment for future generations.” – Lawrence MacAulay, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food