Whereas the BC Food Security Task Force recommended in 2019 that the Province allocate up to a quarter of a percent 0.25 of the ALR be made available for agri-industrial activities and establish a commissioner for agri-industrial lands; And whereas creating a dedicated area for agri-industrial activity will give businesses in food and agritech a strategic opportunity to support the modernization of agriculture and enhance food security; And whereas local governments are unable to consider pilot projects that align with this concept: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM work with the Province of BC to provide an opportunity for communities to pilot agritech opportunities in alignment with the BC Food Security Task Force Findings and Recommendations report.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Government is committed to enhancing food security in B.C., in addition to supporting the provinces agricultural sector through its adoption of agritech. Government believes that integrating new technologies can lower costs, increase productivity, and improve overall agricultural quality, competitiveness, and sustainability. There are no restrictions on using agritech for food production on the ALR, including the use of robotics and drones. Government further clarified this through the 2022 amendment of the ALR Use Regulation, which explicitly made it clear that vertical farming operations controlled environment structures are permitted on the ALR. Further, if an activity is not permitted by ALR regulations, an owner can work with their local government to submit a non-farm use application to the Agricultural Land Commission to seek approval for the activity. Local governments are encouraged to review industrial lands that are currently adjacent to agricultural lands to determine whether they can be intensified or reallocated for agritech use, such as reducing parking lot requirements. Local governments may also wish to consider conducting industrial land use inventories to review how much industrial land currently exists, what it is being used for, and if any portion could be reallocated for agritech use. Government has undertaken various other initiatives that support the growth of the agritech sector. For example, the Agritech Concierge was introduced in March 2021, offering a suite of services to help industry members navigate potential land opportunities, attract investment capital, and connect with Government. Another example is the Governments 6.5 million investment to establish the BC Centre for Agritech Innovation in September 2022 to bring together partners in academia, government, and industry to scale up and commercialize technologies that respond to the needs of the agriculture industry. Government is eager to continue exploring how agritech initiatives can contribute to the competitiveness and sustainability of the agricultural sector.