The 17th annual Farmland Forum was held on March 24, 2022. This was the second time the Forum was held virtually and over 200 guests joined us online!
The day kicked off with an opening keynote presentation by David Phillips, CM, Senior Climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada which explored the status of the climate in Canada, necessary mitigation strategies and the importance of protecting land in its present state. David’s presentation provided an interesting overview on how agriculture and climate change mitigation are related to one another and how dependent food systems are on the state of the environment.
This insightful presentation was followed by a pre-recorded keynote presentation by Evan Fraser, PhD, Director of the Arrell Food Institute and Professor of Geography at the University of Guelph. In this presentation, Evan raised awareness on global food security issues, introduced cutting-edge agri-food technology and dove further into the great challenge of sustainability.
Following these eye-opening keynote presentations, we welcomed several farmers across Ontario to the table in a panel discussion on “A Multitude of Ecosystem Services across Unique Farmland Uses”. In this panel, farmers described how their various agricultural operations create vital ecosystem services that contribute to the health of our environment.
In addition to this conversation, we hosted a second panel discussion in which pioneers of “Sustainable Innovations in the Agricultural Sector” discussed unique agri-food technology. Speakers in this panel demonstrated the overall efficiency behind integrating these innovations into the agricultural sector and brought attention to their many benefits.
The day wrapped up with Philly Markowitz, RPP, Economic Development Officer of Grey County, and guests with a keynote presentation focussed on community sustainability, climate change resiliency and local food security initiatives. Philly was able to narrow down the focus of the day from a global scale to a municipal scale and demonstrate what strong community partnerships can achieve.
Thank you to everyone who attended!
Thank you to our 2022 Farmland Forum Supporters
