Exploring Agroecology in British Columbia: Reflections from the Organic B.C. Conference – November 25 – 27, 2025
- carolinadiaz59
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
By Evan Eskilson and Carina Isbell
In late November 2025, the Canadian team of the Ag4Climate project joined Organic BC at their bi-annual conference titled “Organic Solutions for a Complex World.” The conference welcomed roughly 300 participants from a diverse cross-section of food system stakeholders, including farmers, ranchers, processors, retailers, academics, and government officials.
Conferences like these offer a window into ongoing processes for food system transformation. By exploring narratives across food system stakeholders, we can see variation in the conceptualization and operationalization of a just and sustainable food system. In what follows, we reflect on narratives we observed during the conference and how they relate to important debates within agroecology and food systems research.
Conference Proceedings
The conference took place over three days and consisted of sessions of relevance to organic agriculture in BC. Although none of the sessions directly included the word agroecology in their titles or descriptions, they each spoke to at least one dimension of agroecology. We roughly categorized sessions into themes following a common three-part definition of agroecology as a science (the study of the ecology of food systems), a practice (the implementation of farming practices which improve ecosystem functioning and reduce dependence on external inputs), and a movement (the collective actions which push for sustainable and just food system transformation) (Wezel et al., 2009). As shown in figure 1, there was a strong thematic focus on the ‘movement’ for organic agriculture which manifest as sessions focused on building relationships, political advocacy, and other social issues (e.g., farm transition, teaching, climate solutions, etc.). The clear presence of movement building sessions allowed attendees to explore narratives and values that are used to construct visions and strategies for food systems change in BC. For the specific session topics and details, see the conference outline here.
Key narratives: Strategies for the Organic 'Movement'
As students studying food systems, we are informed by debates surrounding the conventionalization of organic agriculture. As Julie Guthman (2004) explored in California, many of the organic industry's core commitments to strong sustainability and social justice were diluted as the industry became dominated by large-scale farms and multinational corporations. In part, this is what drew us both to agroecology, as it proposes a truly radical and transformative approach beyond the organic certification process.
However, participation in the conference showed us the diversity of ideas within the organic movement in British Columbia. Like agroecology, the organic movement continues to persist and be reflective of diverse visions for how organic can incorporate social issues. To this end, several narratives emerged during the conference, with some advocating for a relatively narrow agenda that aims to be acceptable to a variety of conventional and radical farmers, while others pushed to broaden the scope of social issues that the organic movement is concerned with, aiming to bring in non-industry members.
For example, the opening night keynote address came from Brent Preston and Gillian Files, owners of The New Farm, and founding members of the Canada-wide organization, Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS). Their talk touched on their ‘big-tent’ approach to advocating for organic agriculture through the lens of climate solutions. This includes working with both organic and conventional producers and collaborating with policymakers across partisan lines, but focusing on the issue of climate resilience. In the second day’s keynote, Jacob Beaton from Tea Creek and the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Association spoke about the challenges Indigenous farmers continue to face in accessing land and the means to live well. Later, local leaders from the National Farmers Union led a session on community and global solidarity in relation to social issues, seeing solidarity beyond the industry as key to coalition building (e.g., pointing to the NFU’s decision to denounce the Israeli occupation of Palestine publicly).
What all of these examples demonstrate is a desire from organic stakeholders to engage with complex social issues and build strategic coalitions. Although focusing on different social issues, they all are working to expand the movement. Whether by building strategic connections with conventional farmers, seeking reconciliation pathways to uplift Indigenous producers, or building international solidarity networks with other marginalized groups, the various leaders aligned on the need to grow the movement.
Reflections on the conference
These narratives highlight the diversity of the organic movement in BC and the efforts being taken to expand the community of stakeholders within but also beyond the province. Rather than existing as a monolith, the Organic BC conference was home to a variety of strategies for food system change. The diversity of strategies within the organic space in BC reminds us that the push for food systems transformation is taking place in a multitude of ways across the world. Far from a unified political project, the conference and the organic movement in BC more broadly is a space where different visions of agroecological transformation are being actively presented and negotiated. The outcomes of these (sometimes complementary and sometimes competing) social dynamics are far from determined, and the tensions they reveal are core to understanding the opportunities and challenges of movement-building.
References
Guthman, J. (2004). Agrarian dreams: The paradox of organic farming in California. University of California Press.
Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Doré, T., Francis, C., Vallod, D., & David, C. (2009). Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review. Agronomy for sustainable development, 29(4), 503-515.
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