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Agriculture platforms

Here's what the 2026 BC Provincial Election parties are promising.

BC NDP
  • Expand food processing on eligible land in the Agricultural Land Reserve that is not suited for primary food production

    "Expand food processing opportunities on eligible land in the Agricultural Land Reserve that is not well suited for primary food production, while protecting prime farmland, to create local jobs and process more B.C. food here at home." — bcndp.ca, retrieved 2026-10-13

BC Conservative
  • Expand food processing on land in the Agricultural Land Reserve

    "Modernize the 50/50 on-farm processing rule. Farmers will have greater freedom to process and sell products year-round, keeping more food processing in BC." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

  • Update farm-class revenue thresholds and roll back restrictions on Agricultural Land Commission decisions

    "Keep farmland farming. We will update farm-class revenue thresholds, restore merit-based Agricultural Land Commission decisions and reduce barriers facing young farmers and ranchers." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

  • Remap the Agricultural Land Reserve using modern soil and mapping technology

    "Modernize the Agricultural Land Reserve. We will use modern soil and mapping technology to remap the ALR and reform the ALR Act to put food security first. Governance will also be strengthened to address misuse and non-compliance." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

  • Strengthen Agricultural Land Reserve governance to address misuse and non-compliance

    "Modernize the Agricultural Land Reserve. We will use modern soil and mapping technology to remap the ALR and reform the ALR Act to put food security first. Governance will also be strengthened to address misuse and non-compliance." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

  • Allow secondary use uses of farmland and limited short-term rentals for agri-tourism

    "Help farmers diversify their income, including allowing secondary uses that strengthen farm businesses and limited short-term rentals supporting agri-tourism." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

  • Show 3 more promises...
  • Make on-farm housing work for agriculture, prioritising worker housing permits
  • Protect existing water allocations for farms, enable more storage, accelerate groundwater licensing, provide earlier warnings of water problems, and triage water for the most affected crops

    "Protect farm water. We will protect existing allocations, enable more storage, accelerate groundwater licensing, provide earlier warnings of water problems and conduct evidence-based triage of the most affected crops, with farmers at the table from the beginning of watershed planning." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

  • Encourage advanced food processing and manufacturing for domestic and export markets

    "Make BC a world leader in food processing. We will encourage advanced food processing and manufacturing for domestic and export markets so we add more value to the food we already produce." — Ready to Deliver, retrieved 2026-10-18

BC Green
  • Restrict non-resident and investment firm ownership of farmland

    "Protect BC’s farms and food security by restricting non-resident and investment firm ownership of farmland. Specifically, the BC Greens will limit ownership of Agricultural Land Reserve Land parcels greater than 4 hectares only to citizens and permanent residents of British Columbia, unless they demonstrate intent to become residents and establish themselves within two years." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Make food sovereignty part of the Agricultural Land Commission's mandate, and provide additional funding and staffing to fulfill that mandate

    "Make food sovereignty part of the Agricultural Land Commission’s mandate, to protect and prioritize agricultural use, and provide additional funding and staffing to fulfill that mandate." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Establish a publicly-owned agricultural land bank for lease by new farmers

    "Unlock the next generation of farmers and protect and expand BC’s reserve of farmland by establishing a publicly owned agricultural land bank for lease by new farmers." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Improve public data on who owns farmland, how ownership is changing, and how agricultural land is being used

    "Improve public data on who owns BC’s farmland, how ownership is changing and how agricultural land is being used, so governments, researchers and the public can better understand emerging trends and develop effective policy." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Empower municipalities to tax productive farmland that is being left idle
  • Show 6 more promises...
  • Develop a public interest test for significant farmland purchases to ensure they support the long-term interests of BC's agricultural land base, food production, and farming communities
  • Incentivise regenerative farming practices that build healthier soils, improve water management, reduce energy use, and sequester carbon
  • Streamline the approvals process for water storage dugouts on farms

    "Streamline the approvals process for water storage dugouts on farms to improve drought resilience and water availability." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Commit the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship to work with farmers to ensure protection of food crops during drought periods
  • Build a public wholesaling and distribution operation to supply grocery stores, schools, and hospitals, and require it to stock 30% locally-produced food

    "Build public wholesaling and distribution to supply Green Grocers, schools and hospitals. With a 30% locally produced food mandate, this would meaningfully build BC’s food security, from farm to warehouse." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

  • Create a universal school food programme

    "Create a universal school food program that provides opportunities for schools, community organizations, and farmers to promote sustainable practices and educate children on healthy eating habits." — Believe in Better, retrieved 2026-10-13

Looking for the parties' positions on other topics?

See our full 2026 BC Provincial Election platform comparison