Farmland in Alberta. (Photo 62418527 © Pictureguy66 | Dreamstime.com)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Potential Issue

National Farmers Union worried wildfires could cause food crisis

Jun 9, 2023 | 5:00 PM

A national organization believes there could be a major food crisis if this year’s wildfire season becomes the new norm moving forward.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) is concerned that these blazes, which are mainly impacting forested areas, could easily spread to farmland.

“Every acre of farmland lost, every crop that is lost, puts our personal food security at risk,” said Jenn Pfenner, the NFU’s president.

While she doesn’t have statistics, Pfenner explained she’s spoken to several farmers who’ve been impacted by fires that have popped up this year. She added she doesn’t know if, or how much, farmland has been lost, however, multiple farmers have had to evacuate which has stopped them from putting seeds in the ground.

Some may think that losing a bit of farmland isn’t that big of an issue, but according to the NFU, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

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“The truth of the matter is, less than half a per cent of our total land mass is class 1 farmland,” said Pfenner. “A lot of the negative impacts that are happening are happening in these very areas that we rely on to grow food.”

Another issue plaguing farmers is all the smoke coming from the fires. While many people can just stay inside to avoid breathing in the fumes, farmers don’t have that luxury.

Along with breathing problems, Pfenner noted farmers have also been experiencing burning throats, fatigue, nausea, and headaches.

In her opinion, she believes the federal government should create a program to financially support farmers who need to take time off from work due to the smoke.

“There were programs across the country (during the COVID-19 pandemic) that compensated both businesses and workers for time off that was required to recover from illness or deal with quarantine. I think the same type of program needs to be developed.”

Overall, the NFU is calling on the federal government to protect everyone who has to work outside in the smoke, ensure that plans are in place to properly fight these wildfires and that efforts continue to help combat climate change.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow