Boon or Boondoggle? Weighing proposed changes for food processing in the ALR

The BC Ministry of Ag has proposed rule changes for food processing in the ALR that would make it much easier to build food processing facilities on classes 4-7 land, with a much lower requirement for the use of BC-produced food.

I'm devoting two episodes to this topic. Herein: two perspectives about these proposed changes.

The proposed rule is as follows: On class 5-7 soil (and class 4 if the parcel is serviced by the date this rule is implemented), ALC approval is not necessary to build food processing plants in the ALR, so long as 5 percent of the primary product used in the processing is grown or raised in the province.

Read the Ministry of Ag's proposal and discussion paper here.

You can tell the government what you think of this proposal by emailing Ag Minister Popham at AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca