An alternative form of strategic development planning for creating sustainable agricultures and conserving good quality farmland in the province of Québec, Canada

Abstract

The aim of this short article is to introduce an alternative approach to conserving good quality farmland while also creating sustainable agricultures. Many jurisdictions have introduced measures to conserve good quality farmland and the agricultural activities it supports through conventional land use planning. However, conventional land use planning can really only support good quality farmland and its farm activities as long as the political actors in charge of the management of such land use planning activities are committed to conserving good quality farmland and the farm activities it supports.1 Frequently however, in multiple jurisdictions the land use planners and their local (municipal) and regional (e.g. county) municipalities have removed land from agricultural land use zones to be used for subdivision and /or industrial park development. On the other hand, some countries or provinces have introduced legislation to protect good quality farmland, e.g. the Provinces of Québec and British Columbia in Canada, thereby drawing upon a higher level of government. However, while Québec for a long time had a role as a “top down’ government, it began to change this position once it recognized the values and abilities of actors on the ground particularly in relation to agricultural development and conservation issues.