Opinion: Face of agriculture changing as farm population continues decline
The agriculture industry has undergone dramatic changes over the past century to stay on the cutting edge of innovation with new technology and practices.
However, one dimension that hasn’t kept pace with the changing times is the profile of people operating the farms.
When federal statisticians overlaid the 2021 Census of Agriculture against the Census of Population, the socioeconomic image of Canada’s farm population that emerges is very much tied to the past.
Canada’s farmers are predominantly white, male, wealthier than other Canadians, hard-working, older, and Christian. There’s nothing wrong with these qualities, but they don’t mirror how the rest of Canada’s population is evolving.
The face of Canadian agriculture is changing, and the pace of that change is picking up, but much of it has to with attrition.
For example, the number of female farm operators increased by 2.3 per cent in the 2021 census, which is the first increase since 1991. Women now make up 30.4 per cent of the farm operators in Canada and just under 15 per cent of the one-operator farms.
Male farm operator numbers dropped by 5.8 per cent over the same period.
Overall, the farm population continues to shrink and now represents 1.6 per cent of the total Canadian population. Like other Canadian households, farm families are becoming smaller, but that shrinkage is happening faster than the rest of Canada.
Fifty years ago, the average farm household was 4.3 people. In 2021, it was down to 2.8 people. Meanwhile, the average Canadian household has dropped from 3.5 people to 2.4 in the same period.
While newcomers to Canada are gaining a toehold in the industry, they make up less than seven per cent of the farm population, compared to 23.1 per cent for all of Canada.
“This is important because a diversified farm population provides a broad range of skills, experiences, perspectives and cultural influences that can boost the potential for increased productivity within the agricultural sector,” the StatCan report said.
People from diverse backgrounds bring different perspectives about food and its production. As more people from different cultures adopt Canada as their home, domestic demand is increasing but that demand could look different as their influence is felt at the supermarket.
Racialized groups now make up more than one-quarter of the Canadian population but only 3.7 per cent of the farm population.
The proportion of farmers who identify as Indigenous is increasing modestly, with more than two-thirds of those identifying as Métis.
There is a higher proportion of men in the sector compared to the total population and a higher percentage of people over age 55.
“In 2021, over four in 10 men (40.3 per cent) in the farm population were 55 years and over, compared with 31.2 per cent in the total population. Meanwhile, 41.0 per cent of women in the farm population were 55 years and over, compared with 33.5 per cent or the total population.”
Not surprisingly, there is also a lower proportion of farmers under 35 compared to the general population. Young people bring a very different set of values to the table about how food is produced and how they want to eat.
In the 1970s, income from all sources for farm households was 34 per cent lower than for other Canadian households. Over the past two census periods, median farm household income has been 17.3 and 14.6 per cent higher than other Canadian families.
It’s important to note however, that almost 46 per cent of farm household income comes from members working off the farm either full or part-time, not unlike other Canadian households that rely on more than one income.
Farmers frequently complain that the rest of society “just doesn’t understand” about agriculture.
Perhaps this explains why farmers and non-farmers are finding it more difficult to connect on important issues or agree on a shared vision for the food system.
However, as valuable as industry programs such as Ag in the Classroom are, the remedy goes beyond trying to “educate” non-farmers about how things are done.
Farmers must also invest in learning how Canada’s changing face reflects on what they do.
Laura Rance is vice-president of content for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at [email protected]
Credit: Opinion: Face of agriculture changing as farm population continues decline
