By Ryan Husband
The recent national food security strategy appears to have overlooked the breadbasket of Canada. Agriculture is part of the ethos of Saskatchewan. It’s hard to miss, even in our urban areas. Many of our institutional slogans proudly declare that we’re here to feed the world. The goals of the strategy are noble, needed, and long overdue. Yet much of what is proposed seems better suited to provinces with different geography and population realities than our own.
Food Hubs and Terminals: A Great Idea, but Not for Saskatchewan
Let’s start with food hubs and terminals. These appear to be large-scale wholesale farmers’ markets where producers can bring their products to sell directly to buyers. The concept reduces reliance on major grocery chains and creates opportunities for smaller buyers and sellers to enter the market. It’s a great idea. The challenge is that Saskatchewan doesn’t have any of these facilities. Given our long travel distances and smaller population base, my bet is we won’t have one for a while either. Alas, one can dream.
Greenhouses and Vertical Farming: Climate Challenges
The strategy also places emphasis on greenhouses and vertical farming. Again, a worthy objective. However, Saskatchewan’s climate presents some unique challenges. It’s very cold in the winter and surprisingly hot in the summer. Both require significant energy inputs to maintain growing conditions. Greenhouse production can certainly work here, but it isn’t always the easiest path to increasing domestic food production.
Irrigation: A Missed Opportunity
A Saskatchewan alternative to greenhouses is greater investment in irrigation development around Lake Diefenbaker. Irrigation allows producers to grow fruits and vegetables on a commercial scale while reducing climate risk. Modern irrigation technology has also made tremendous advances in water stewardship and efficiency. Reading the strategy, I kept waiting for the section on irrigation. It never arrived. That’s a missed opportunity. Expanding irrigation could reduce our reliance on imported produce, strengthen Canada’s food security, and create economic spin-offs across Saskatchewan and beyond.
Agri-Food Processing: Hope on the Horizon
But let’s not get stuck on what wasn’t included. One area where the strategy appears hopeful is agri-food processing. Why do we grow raw ingredients, ship them elsewhere to be processed, and then buy them back as finished products? Labour challenges, technology requirements, transportation logistics, and regulatory hurdles all play a role. Saskatchewan has made progress, with canola crushing plants serving as the poster child for what can happen when the conditions are right. But now is not the time to sit back and celebrate.
One bullet in the strategy talks about “identifying and developing packages for investment attraction.” Let’s hope Saskatchewan is front of mind when those conversations happen. Sure, we might not have oceanfront property, but we do have the raw materials.
We have land, water, producers, innovation, and plenty of room to grow. If future versions of the strategy give a little more attention to irrigation, processing, and Prairie realities, the benefits could stretch far beyond Saskatchewan.
