WHERE WE ARE

The good news… Farmers’ markets are burgeoning, local food is readily available through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and there is an upsurge of urban agriculture projects. Foodland Ontario produce is prominently showcased at our neighbourhood grocers.

The bad news… Climate change is real. No longer being denied, governments grapple with measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) while we seek renewable forms of energy to replace fossil fuels at a pace that scientists estimate will not be quick enough to keep global warming at bay.

OUR SOIL WILL BE OUR SOURCE OF RECOVERY

The connection between our food & our soil is evident, but we are now making a connection between our soil & climate change.

Traditional farming of 200 years ago morphed into conventional agriculture after WW2 with a heavy reliance on and steady increase of chemical fertilizers and pesticide use. These detrimental farming practices have contributed to soil erosion and degradation through loss of organic matter, air and water pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss and the release of billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. To better understand the destructive impact of conventional agriculture on the health of people and the environment take time to view YREA’s presentation Pesticides & GMOs, a Review of the Science. It can no longer be business as usual if we are to save the planet. We need to fix what we broke and regenerative organic farming is the start. With the 2020 Rodale Institute report showing skyrocketing sales of organic food, this will be a win win both for organic farmers and the planet.

To this end YREA supports all efforts to better protect water quality by eliminating the releases of carcinogens, other toxic chemicals (persistent, bio-accumulative, and endocrine disrupting substances) and excess nutrients through a transition to regenerative organic agriculture. This form of sustainable agriculture promotes climate change resilience, best management practices to reduce the impact of agriculture on receiving waters and should include tax credits for the protection of wetlands and natural heritage.

YREA’S 2024 ADVOCACY FOCUS

• Organic food, pesticide & GMO advocacy/education
• Ban glyphosate use in Canada, in farming & forestry STOP the SPRAY
• How we can all make EVERY MONTH EARTH MONTH
• Solar covered parking lots in all municipalities
• Planting for pollinators – rewilding gardens & public spaces
• Greenbelt & farmland protection
• Provide our workshops upon request
• Why we need Organic Food in Schools

We extend our heartfelt appreciation for the huge effort our local organic farmers undertake daily to provide us with healthy, nourishing food. THANK YOU!

INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We respectfully acknowledge that we are located on the ancestral lands, sacred gathering places and traditional territories of many First Nations including the Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples. First Nations, because they were here first, inhabiting this land for more than 12,000 years.

There are over 30,000 place names in Canada that are of Indigenous origin. These are often descriptive of the location named because of the inseparable spiritual connection First Nations have to not only land but also to water, air, plants and animals. They view their environment as sacred and feel a responsibility for its preservation for future generations.  As Chief Seattle once said ‘whatever befalls the earth, befalls the children of the earth’. May we follow the example of Indigenous peoples to honour and protect this Earth we call home.