MONTREAL — Although most food is now gathered under the roof of grocery stores and supermarkets, these might not display many products if they were not the fruit of the labor of the agri-food industry. However, the work of time, technologies and the specialization of trades have caused a good number of Quebecers to be alienated from the land, so much so that certain knowledge of the agricultural processes essential to our daily lives has become hidden.
As a reminder of the importance of valuing farmers, ranchers and growers, March has been declared Agricultural Literacy Month.
“Today, it is possible to eat without having any idea of the origin of the food we eat,” laments agronomist Pierre Tulk.
“We realized a few years ago that today’s young people are alienated from agriculture. A few generations ago, everyone knew a farmer or was a farmer, underlines Martin Rouleau, general manager of Éduc-o-champ. Now, we have a distance that sometimes extends over three or four generations. The direct link is no longer there.
Agricultural literacy is very simple. This is knowledge of the origin of food, the processes behind its production, as well as the impacts of agriculture on life in society, among others. March has been the official month in Canada for a dozen years now.
Organizations like Éduc-o-Champ have made it their mission to equip teachers to integrate notions of agricultural literacy into the school curriculum, from kindergarten to Secondary V.
The whole thing is not intended to train future farmers, but rather to make young people aware of all the contributions of this industry which is found at the very basis of the organization of society.
“We come to demystify agricultural production, the different stages, the processes, but also the careers of this universe, which is much larger than you might think,” says Mr. Rouleau.
Presence of GMOs, veganism, mass farming, impact of climate change on crops, impact of certain crops on health, increasing inaccessibility of agricultural land for the next generation, to name a few; the issues related to agriculture are numerous, complex and diverse.
“Agriculture is a mark of identity, illustrates Mr. Tulk. For example, the First Nations used the land to feed themselves, but territorial agricultural development was completely disrupted with the arrival of the French. All this had consequences on the culture, and it is something that we already teach our children.
Both for the director of Éduc-o-Champ and for the agronomist, agricultural literacy helps Quebecers become more engaged and responsible citizens.
“Whether we live in the suburbs, in the countryside or in the city, agriculture and the bio-food system are part of our lives,” notes Mr. Tulk. Our food choices have impacts not only on our health, but also on society.”
However, despite all the efforts and all the good will, it is sometimes necessary to go back to the basics.
“We have a young man who saw a hen in a garden and asked us if hens grew in gardens. We really see everything today”, illustrates Mr. Rouleau.
Renewed interest
However, Mr. Tulk is pleased to see a resurgence of public interest in certain aspects of agriculture. “When you look at agritourism, for example, it is one of the fastest growing sectors in tourism in Quebec,” he notes. This popularity is making people re-interested in agricultural products and how they are made.”
The pandemic has also made many consumers aware of the importance of local food in a context of food self-sufficiency. “Before the pandemic, 67% of people thought agriculture was an essential service; since then, it’s 83%”, rejoices the agronomist.
Efforts must nevertheless be sustained to ensure the transmission of this knowledge from generation to generation.
“Because one day, it is these young people who will share this knowledge,” notes Mr. Rouleau.
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This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.