Drought Action Letter | Seniors for Climate Action Now

Droughts are being felt in parts of Canada that already struggle with water shortages. They affect farmers and food production.

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Increased temperatures due to climate change result from the reliance on fossil fuels, creating dry forests that are susceptible to wildfires. Climate change also increases the risk and severity of droughts in parts of Canada that already struggle with water shortages, like the southern Prairies and the interior of British Columbia. Drought affects farmers and food production. Other influences aside from climate change are the reduced efficiency of hydro electric power, the destruction of healthy soil, the lack of focus on regenerative agriculture, the reliance on animal protein and the related environmental degradation and animal feed production. Smaller family farms are at risk. 

Climate change is also causing droughts to develop faster, making “flash droughts” more common. Most farms, from large to small, have suffered from greatly reduced productivity and income. At the same time, expenses related to energy, equipment and supplies, processing, shipping and labour have increased significantly. The majority of farms in Canada have not earned a profit since 2017. As a direct consequence, many farmers will abandon farming. The availability and affordability of local healthy food will impact everyone without the means to purchase expensive food. Canadians are already suffering from the high price of food. In the same way the government has been largely ignoring Indigenous practices regarding wildfires, it does not take into account Indigenous knowledge and stewardship of farmland. 

It is past time for the Canadian government to take effective actions to mitigate the above. I call on you, as my MP, to: 
1. Advocate for legislation that ends all subsidies related to fossil fuel extraction and production. This includes fossil fuel-based fertilizer companies. 
2. Promote and subsidize clean and renewable energy production, i.e., wind, solar and thermal energy. 
3. Promote and subsidize regenerative agricultural technologies and practices; and end subsidies to chemical pesticide companies. 
4. Educate, promote and subsidize farmers in order for them to transform from animal-focused farming to organic vegetable fruit production and grains as outlined in Canada’s Food Guide. 
5. Provide incentives that encourage younger people to choose regenerative farming as a career. 
6. Advocate for funding and promotion of public education programs that support the above, and that assist people in becoming aware of the personal and community benefits of purchasing healthy local food wherever possible. 
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SCAN! is a seniors organization calling for cutting Canada’s carbon emissions by at least 60% by 2030, the phaseout of fossil fuels, a just transition to a low carbon economy and a responsible role in supporting developing countries in a transition to a low carbon world.