Statistics Canada’s latest environmental management survey has left
some farmers wondering how the results will be used.
Gordon McPhee, a director with the Keystone Agricultural Producers at
Dauphin, Man., said farmers are uncomfortable answering questions with
poor wording, limited choices of answers and unfamiliar program names.
The Best or Beneficial Management Practices, or BMP, is one example.
McPhee said questions and multiple choice answers about sprayer
calibration showed a lack of understanding of farm practices.
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“We’re not sure what the goal of the survey is meant to achieve,” said
McPhee, a member of KAP’s environmental committee.
“I become very hesitant about giving answers if I don’t know how it
will be used,” he said.
“Is the goal to attack me or to move toward wiser decision making? That
doesn’t seem to be clear.”
He said farmers’ unease with some questions could affect the quality of
answers and the survey’s results.
The 2001 Farm Environmental Management Survey was sent to 20,000
randomly selected Canadian farmers in February. They were contacted by
phone this month to get their responses, with a preliminary report
expected by year’s end.
McPhee said that by not contacting farm groups for input before
creating the survey, Statistics Canada missed opportunities to hear of
positive contributions made by farmers through reduced tillage,
increased use of manure as fertilizer and fencing off of streams.
“It seems to focus on the negative and misses some of the positives,”
he said.
Of the six farmers contacted by The Western Producer, one farmer
referred to “form fatigue” caused by filling out documents for various
support programs and the agriculture census.
One gave the survey quick answers, while another said he skewed his
response to lower cattle numbers, fearing how the information would be
used.
All expressed concern about how the information would be used and by
whom.
Alexandre Lefebvre, an environmental analyst with Agriculture Canada,
said the survey is intended to determine what environmental practices
producers are implementing or considering in day-to-day operations.
The information will educate Canadians about current farming practices,
but will also be used by industry and government to address areas like
environmental initiatives, programs and funding, he added.
“The better information we have, the more targeted approach we can
have.”
He said this survey builds on a 1995 input management survey and has
been linked with the 2001 census of agriculture to avoid duplicating
questions.
Lefebvre said there has been a good response to the survey, with many
phoning in their answers before Statistics Canada can call them.
“It means producers do care and want to participate,” he said.
