Unit 5 Agricultural territory

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Unit 5Agricultural territory

• Can Farmers Work the Land Without Destroying It?

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• Nearly 80 of the Quebec population lives in the
  St. Lawrence Plain Region.
• Its also where most of Quebecs farms are found.
• This means city and country thus share the same
  space.
• Most farms are located close to urban centres
  (cities).

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Co-existence of city (urban) and country (rural)
raises several questions

• Do cities encroach on farmlands?
• Are farming activities harmful to the
  environment?
• How should territories handle the problem of
  smell and pollution?
• How should territories be developed?

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Characteristics of Quebec Farms

• In Quebec, cities and farms have been sharing
  space for a long time.
• Farmers began settling along the St. Lawrence
  Region centuries ago.
• Why this region?
• It has ideal climate for farming.
• It has fertile soil for farming.
• It has a nearby river for transporting people and
  goods.

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• In southern Quebec, cities are taking over
  farmland.
• Residential neighbourhoods, factories, shopping
  centres, roads and highways etc.) are taking over
  green space.

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Why dont farmers settle farther away from
cities?

• 1st reason
• The climate and soil is less fertile as we travel
  farther away from the St. Lawrence Region.
• 2nd reason
• Transporting products becomes really expensive if
  farmers live far away from urban centres.
• Gas is expensive!

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• 3rd reason
• Farmers depend (rely) on other businesses to get
  supplies and services.
• For example, a farmer will need quick service
  from a repairman if a machine breaks down on his
  farm.
• These other businesses need to be close by for
  immediate help.

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Range

• Its land that runs along the length of the road.
• The land is divided into rectangles.
• Range residents lived close to one another.
• They relied on each other for help.

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Disagreements Arise Amongst Range Residents

• Farmers have different approaches to land use.
• Some farmers prefer to use chemical fertilizers
  while others use natural fertilizers.
• It may cause conflict if the soil from one range
  contaminates the neighbouring range.

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• Bigger, but Fewer Farms in Quebec
• The number of farms is decreasing, while the
  average farm size is increasing.
• Dairy Farming in Quebec (Qc)
• Dairy production is the most important
  agricultural industry in Quebec.
• One in four farms is a dairy farm.
• One third (1/3) of Canadas dairy production is
  found in Quebec.

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Farmers and the Development of Rural Communities

• Farmers create jobs.
• 1 in 8 jobs is linked to the agri-food industry.
• Farmers preserve and take care of the countryside.

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An Agricultural Economy with Global Ties

• One way Quebec is linked with other countries
  around the world is through imports and exports
  of agricultural products.
• Imports Products that come from far away places.
  
• Exports Products we sell to other countries.

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• I.e. Quebec exports pork to Japan and gets its
  fresh vegetables from California or Mexico.

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Importing and Exporting the Same Agricultural
Product

• Quebec exports apples- but imports other
  varieties too.
• Making Connections Between Agriculture and
  Environment
• 1. AGRICULTURAL ZONED LAND (Green Zones)
• We have laws that protect Quebec farms.
• Only farming is permitted in green zones.

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• Why were such laws necessary?
• Urban sprawl was encroaching on farmland.
• It is the spreading of a city and its suburbs
  over farm land.
• Is the law working? (Is it effective?)
• The farming law remains controversial.

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• People in favor of Agricultural Zoned Land
• They are against developing new neighbourhoods
  over farmland. Reserving land for farming only is
  the only solution.
• b) People against Agricultural Zoned Land
• They feel zoning land for farming only goes too
  far. It become impossible to build anything
  because this law goes too far.

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• c) People not satisfied with currrent law
• Some people feel the current law is not strict
  enough because it still allows for polluting
  farming practises to continue (straying chemicals
  and pesticides etc.).
• 2. Production without Destruction
• The 6 requirements for farming
• Clearing and working the land
• Planting

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• c) Spreading fertilizers and pesticides
• Fertilizers
• Organic or chemical substance added to the soil
  to make it fertile.
• Pesticides
• A chemical used to kill pests.
• Pests are rodents and insects that attack and
  destroy crop fields.
• d) Using heavy Machinery
• e) Digging ditches

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• f) Diverting streams or even rivers
• Changing the direction of the flow of water
• Farming activities have a negative impact on the
  environment.

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What are the negative consequences of farming
activities?

• 1. Fertilizers/pesticides contaminate water.
• Its absorbed by the soil and ends up in rivers,
  lakes and groundwater.
• 2. Habitats are transformed which threatens
  biodiversity.
• 3. Pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics can
  be hazardous to the health of farm workers and
  consumers.

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How did farming come to this?

• Profoundly changed since 1950s.
• Farms are fewer but bigger.
• Farming is much more intensive
• Fuels, pesticides and fertilizers are used in
  massive quantities increase production.
• Harmful products to the environment are absorbed
  into the soil and make their way into the
  groundwater, rivers and lakes .

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Point Source Pollution vs. Non-Point Source
Pollution

• Point Source Pollution
• Linked to industrial and urban activities.
• The source has been identified (i.e. pulp and
  paper industry).
• Non-Point Source Pollution
• Linked to farming actvities.
• The pollution (pesticides etc.) spreads beyond
  the farmed area as it infiltrates the soil and
  travels into the groundwater, rivers, lakes etc.

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• 3. Watershed-based management
• It involves preserving both the quantity and
  quality of the water flowing through a territory.
• Farming activities often contaminate water.
• How?
• Whatever fertilizers/pesticides cannot be
  absorbed by the crops runs off the surface, is
  absorbed into the soil and makes its way into the
  streams, rivers and lakes.

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• What is a watershed?
• A watershed is an area of land where all of the
  water (surface and groundwater) flows to the
  lowest point - usually a lake, river, or stream.

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• 4. Hog farms
• Quebec produces more pork than any other Canadian
  province.
• Located mostly in the Chaudiere, Yamaska and
  l'Assomption regions.
• Hog production has increased in the last 40
  years.
• Number of hog farms has decreased.
• This means more pigs are being crammed into
  closed spaces.
• More liquid manure is affecting water quality in
  watersheds (there is more liquid manure than
  there is farmland to spread it on).

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Protecting the Environment While Satisfying
Demand

• It is possible to reduce hog farm pollution.
• Create balance between number of hogs and the
  area available for spreading liquid manure.

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Quebec Pork Exports

• World market demands are strong.
• Nearly ½ of all Quebec pork is exported.
• Pork is leading agricultural export in Quebec.
• Hog farming has become an economic issue
• Striking a balance between building a strong
  economy while addressing environmental concerns.

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Intensive Farming vs. Sustainable Farming

• Intensive Farming aims for higher productivity
  and more profits.
• Characteristics
• Large-sized farms
• Farmers invests a lot in machinery, fertilizers,
  buildings, pesticides, labour.
• Specialize in one type of production (Ex. hog
  farm).
• Concentration of production (more and more
  livestock in the same area).
• Fierce competition among farmers

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• Sustainable Agriculture aims to meet human food
  needs while protecting natural resources (soil,
  water, air, plant and animal biodiversity).
• Its specific goals
• To protect, nourish and enrich the soil.
• To sow natural seeds and farm the land using crop
  rotation and organic fertilizers.

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• These farmers reject animal overcrowding in
  closed farm buildings.
• 5. Organic Farming
• It refers to
• A way of farming without chemical fertilizers,
  pesticides, GMOs (Genetically modified organism)
• Farmers view their farms as ecosystems and work
  as much as possible with natural products and
  practises (Animal feed, insect control, organic
  fertilizers) maintain a balance of number of
  animals and size of farm and they preserve
  wooded areas to prevent clear-cutting of trees.