North Shore News IT’S NOT the sort of reading anyone other than a farmer would normally sit down to, but it has horrendous implica- tions for us all. I refer to a just-published book put out by the federal Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fish- eries and Forestry, titled Soil At Risk, Canada’s Eroding Future. It is the result of a two-year Senate investigation into the prob- lem of soil degradation. What the standing committee found, in the words of its chairman, Herbert Sparrow, ‘‘was genuine distress at the prospect of a continuation of the status quo. “It also discovered that there is, in fact, considerable work going on to conserve Canada’s agricul- tural soils but that this work goes on in spite of, rather than because of, general economic conditions and government policies.’’ Our soils are at risk, he con- cludes. ‘*Our future is eroding. It is time for action.” Soil degradation, the report states, is a serious problem in all parts of Canada: “Canada risks permanently losing a large portion of its agricultural capability if a major commitment to conserving the soil is not made immediately by all leveis of government.’ Perhaps the worst news is the sad state of the Prairies. The “*breadbasket of the world”’ is rap- idly turning into a basket case. As much as 40 to 60 per cent of the organic matter present in virgin Prairie soil has been used up by farm production. Soils that used to yield up to 125 pounds of nitrogen per acre now deliver as little as nine pounds. Loss of organic matter also af- fects the ability of the soil to hold moisture, with the result that more water runs Off into low-lying areas or seeps through cracks into lower depths, where it contributes to an ‘alarming increase in salinity.” This causes the surface soil to bake and crust. In a word, the Great Plains are in danger of turn- ing into deserts. The situation is worsened by conflicting government policies, continuing emphasis on increased production, a serious lack of awareness of the scale of the prob- lem, and an equally serious lack of CHARLESSTOALRT WODELS B&B ACTOAS ¢ FASHION MODELLING © ACTING FILM & TV. KIDS YOUR LOCAL INTERNATIONAL AGENCY 987-1077 ENGLAND - CANADA - USA YOUR BEST ASSURANCE FOR COMPREHENSIVE REAL ESTATE SERVICE lke Nakayama Bus: 922-6166 Res: 984-7574 Ye MONTREAL TRUST a ORAL ESTATE research. Of roughly 4,500 projects listed in the Canadian Inventory of Ag- ricultural Research, fewer than 500 touched on soils and less than 10 per cent deal with soil conserva- tion. In B.C., the situation is scarcely any better. ce Those areas of the province which have turned to monoculture — whether strawberries, raspberries, vegetables, corn, orchards or canota— are all experiencing a steady reduction in soil productivity.”’ The province has a tiny agricul- tural base to begin with. Only four per cent of the land is useful for farming. On land that is used for agricultural purposes, there is a tremendous amount of competi- tion from the forestry sector, as well as unrelenting pressure due to urbanization. Notes the report: “‘The overall level of organic matter in many areas of the pro- vince is thought to be on the decline and this brings with it problems of declining soil water- holding capacity and fertility. “‘Many of the agricultural soils of British Columbia are naturally acidic, and the extensive use of commercial fertilizer has added, and continues to add, to this natu- ral acidity. Soil compaction from land worked while too wet is another increasingly serious prob- lem.” Why does B.C. have these prob- lems? In one word: monoculture. Because of the competition over Jand use, many landholdings tend to be small. And because they need a stable income, farmers concen- trate on one type of enterprise, producing crops which can provide acash return yeas after year. Poultry and hog producers usually have landholdings that are too small to handle their manure, which means that too much of the stuff is applied, resulting in excess nitrate leeching into groundwater. Those areas of the province which have turned to monociiture — whether strawberries, raspber- ries, vegetables, corn, orchards or canola — are all experietcing a steady reduction in soil productivi- ty. tn the Lower Fraser Valley, where a few days’ head start in the spring can give a farmer a critical edge in getiing his harvest to mar- ket before the flood of imported food hits, early planting in too- damp ground leads to serious — and ultimately ruinous — compac- tion of soil. Forestry practices (Nicole Par- ton notwithstanding) also have a deadly impact on soil quality. Mass wasting and slumping have led to the forest industry being forced to break into steeper ter- rain, which means more erosion. “This,’’ the report notes, ‘‘is due to the loss of forestland to other uses, because the valley bot- toms have already been logged and because of the rapid expansion of forest harvests of virgin timber, without careful restocking and silvicultural treatments. “There is also concern about nutrient losses in forestlands, the result of slash burning and removal of successive crops.’’ The political tragedy of all this is to be found in the fact that the 1973 Agricultural Land Commis- sion Act, brought in by Dave Bar- rett’s NDP, was, in the report’s words, ‘‘an important step’’ that would have saved us much grief, bet it has ‘‘unfortunately fallen in- to disuse.” Meaning that the Socreds got back in power. 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