“Our agricultural land should not be sacrificed”

As a representative of Mauricie agricultural producers, I am a privileged witness to the daily commitment of agricultural producers to adopt sustainable practices. Every day, we implement technologies and equipment to limit GHG emissions and we are determined to be part of the climate solution. But the completion of the Mauricie Project must not contribute to sacrificing our ability to meet the food needs of Quebecers.

The Union of Agricultural Producers is not against this project, nor even wind turbines in general. We also recognize the individual right of producers to host electricity production and transmission infrastructure in their homes. However, we maintain our collective position to fully defend our agricultural land against any other use for which it is intended.

The overall consequences of carrying out this project in an agricultural area should not be underestimated. By removing or reducing the yield of 150 hectares of land as we have projected it, we are reducing our ability to feed ourselves locally. However, this will ultimately force us to depend on other regions or other countries to compensate for this loss.

The author talks about the use of plots of “lower value” for this type of project, but this simplistic vision does not take into account the reality of future regulations governing the installation of wind turbines. Such a structure has an impact well beyond the simple surface area occupied: it can limit the development of farms in a radius around them, thus restricting the possibility of expanding or diversifying a farm.

Finally, let’s talk about money. Remember that agriculture in Quebec already suffers from a lack of support and recognition from our decision-makers, particularly in this global economic situation. Producers face enormous economic challenges, but it is not normal to have to give up our land in order to make a decent living from it.

The question that arises today is simple: do we want to preserve our ability to feed Quebec in the long term, or let private interests compromise what makes us strong, our independence and our future?

Martin Marcouiller

President – Mauricie UPA Federation