Regarding the vast amounts of acreage now being given over to cherry orchards; the removal of viable land that supports local food sustainability and security for the profitability of cherries is short sighted and will have far reaching effects.
We only need to look at some of the countries in Africa that have been economically forced by multi-national companies to give their productive and food producing lands to cash crops such as coffee and sugar plantations, while the locals starve, to understand that it really can happen here.
Currently, the Okanagan is a veritable oasis of food production with our long growing season and access to irrigation. In my opinion, legislation is now required to govern the percentage of land that can be given to cash crops destined for foreign markets. This sort of destruction in the Agricultural Land Reserve will make a few rich and many others go without.
Holly Baxter
Vernon
