Comox Valley Nature

Comox Valley Nature Hosts Farming for Biodiversity and Climate Needs

Comox Valley Nature would like to introduce Jan Slomp, President of the National Farmers Union and Comox Valley resident who will discuss his work on healthy challenges and opportunities in Canadian agriculture, in order to meet needs in GHG reductions while enhancing biodiversity and food sovereignty. The neo-liberal agenda has been increasingly dominating government agendas globally. The Canadian government’s position has been no exception. Over the last few decades, the dominating commercial agricultural interests have diminished the protection of public policy and public interest. Export and market driven policies for agriculture in Canada have contributed to a loss of bio-diversity, loss of equity for farmers and loss of food sovereignty. This lopsided economic agenda has resulted in a lopsided economic distribution splitting a very rich one percent of the population against a heavily indebted majority and public sector. The neo-liberal agenda is the main cause of runaway climate change, pollution and social inequality and is incompatible with developing equitable and sustainable ways of food production in which biodiversity and nature conservation are achieved and enhanced. National Farmers Union policy is trying to correct that.

Jan Slomp and his partner Marian have been dairy farmers since 1979, first in their native country, the Netherlands and since April 1989 in Alberta. Before his education formally started, Jan already knew the importance of grasslands, still, as a barely discovered natural resource. While optimizing pasture use, he discovered in the early eighties that increased productivity was only attractive if it could be balanced with optimizing biological processes that make sustainability possible. Approaching that balance allowed the Slomps to enjoy a high quality of life and prosperity on a modest sizes farm. Marian and Jan have been NFU members since summer of 1989.

The forming of the Territorial Grain Growers in 1901 at Indian Head Saskatchewan was the start of the farmer-led social movement resulting in the forming of the NFU in 1969. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of that prairie social movement happened at the NFU Convention in Regina 2001, with a banquet at Indian Head and a day of 16 lectures at the University of Regina. Jan always refers to those 16 lectures, especially the one highlighting the life of Elisabeth McNaughton and the role of prairie women as the most important education in his life. Marian and Jan are dedicated to the success of the NFU, as they believe it is the farm organization that continues to look with integrity, for balance between human ingenuity and the needed social economic and ecological outcomes. This lecture, entitled: “Farming for Biodiversity and Climate Needs” will take place at the Florence Filberg Seniors Centre at 7pm (sharp) January 17, 2016.