Written by: Juan David Rodriguez
Edited by: Louis Chenot
Imagine a law that prohibits you from growing your food. Well, such a law exists in Canada, putting sustainable food production at risk. The city established on the official website that ‘Keeping egg-laying hens are not permitted in Montréal, and earth-raising chickens are not allowed.’ (Ville de Montréal, 2024) Indeed, food security is becoming an increasingly pressing issue in Canada. Global challenges like climate change and supply chain disruptions threaten reliable access to food, making local agriculture even more critical. One proposed solution is chickens. Chicken farming is a sustainable practice that allows communities to produce fresh food while supporting the environment and the local economy. However, several regulations in Canada have made it difficult for small-scale chicken farming to flourish despite its potential.
Local chicken farming offers a multitude of benefits. By raising chickens nearby, communities can decrease dependence on large commercial farms and long food supply chains. This is particularly significant during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw widespread supply chain disruption (LaPlante, 2021). Domestic-produced chicken is a great source of affordable, high-quality protein and keeps money inside the community by allowing small farmers to sell directly to local consumers.
Despite these advantages, local chicken farming faces multiple challenges in Canada. Many cities and towns have strict laws that prevent people from keeping chickens in their backyards. These rules often exist because of concerns over noise, disease, or property values. For example, while cities like Vancouver allow backyard chickens, other areas like Ottawa, Montréal, and Quebec have more restrictive policies (Ville de Montréal, 2024). This makes it hard for urban residents to supplement their food supply with homegrown chicken.
Another significant barrier is Canada's poultry supply management system. This system controls the production and price of chicken, ensuring stable incomes for large-scale farmers. However, small farmers must purchase expensive quota rights to sell chickens, making it unaffordable for many. This limits the ability of small-scale producers to enter the market, keeping local chicken farming small-scale (Mundler, 2020). Additionally, Canada's strict food safety regulations, while necessary to protect public health, can be a hurdle for small farmers. These rules often require expensive equipment and inspections for processing chickens for sale, which small farmers may need government assistance to afford. This can impose high costs on small chicken farms, making it harder for them to compete with larger, more efficient operations.
To improve food security and make local chicken farming more accessible, Canada needs to rethink some of its policies. Cities and towns could loosen their rules to allow more people to keep backyard chickens, especially in urban areas. This would help families grow food and reduce reliance on large commercial farms. Similarly, the government could consider lowering the cost of chicken production quotas for small farmers, giving them a better chance at participating in the local food market. In the long run, simplifying food safety regulations for small chicken farms could be an effective measure. This could include creating special rules that meet the needs of small-scale farmers without sacrificing food safety. Support programs, such as grants or training, could further encourage the growth of local chicken farming across Canada.
Other countries like Belgium have introduced chicken-rearing programs to reduce household waste and enhance local food security. Regions like Limburg have seen a boom in families adopting hens thanks to government-supported schemes that subsidize their cost and promote household composting (Jones, 2024). These programs provide fresh eggs and reduce organic waste by half, as the hens consume food scraps. Canada could implement similar local campaigns that make backyard chicken farming more accessible, pairing education and incentives with sustainability goals, helping urban and suburban areas enhance food security while reducing waste.
Local chicken farming has the potential to play a significant role in Canada's food security and sustainability by providing an environmentally friendly, healthy, and local food source. However, to unlock this potential, Canada must remove the barriers preventing small farmers from succeeding. By making these changes, Canada can ensure access to fresh and affordable food for local communities.
References:
Jones, T. (2010, April 10). Belgians egged on to keep chickens – but they're not for eating. The Independent. Retrieved October 28, 2024, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgians-egged-on-to-keep-chickens-ndash-but-they-re-not-for-eating-1942124.html
Mundler, P., Gouin, D., Laughrea, S., & Ubertino, S. (2020). Is Canada's Supply Management System Able to Accommodate the Growth of Farm-direct Marketing? A Policy Analysis. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 1-19. Is Canada's Supply Management System Able to Accommodate the Growth of Farm-direct Marketing?.
LaPlante, G., Andrekovic, S., Young, R., Kelly, J., Bennett, N., Currie, E., & Hanner, R. (2021). Canadian Greenhouse Operations and Their Potential to Enhance Domestic Food Security. Agronomy. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/6/1229
Ville de Montréal. (n.d.). Rabbits, pigs, and chickens. Retrieved October 28, 2024, from https://montreal.ca/en/topics/rabbits-pigs-and-chickens
Ville de Montréal. (n.d.). Pets: Authorized species and numbers. Retrieved October 28, 2024, from https://montreal.ca/en/articles/pets-authorized-species-and-numbers-67567
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