Core Business Areas

Services and programs delivered by the ministry are divided into five core business areas:

1. Food Industry Development

Food Industry Development is responsible for working in partnership with industry to support and undertake research and innovation initiatives; collecting, advising and disseminating information on issues affecting the establishment, production, marketing, and business management of the agriculture, aquaculture and food sectors; providing for youth development programs to facilitate leadership in the agriculture and food industry; and promoting public awareness and support of the agriculture and food industries.

This area is also responsible for animal and aquatic surveillance and diagnostic services to prevent economic losses and to support public health; and for initiating, planning and coordinating province-wide land and water policies and programs regarding environmental farm management. In addition, this area works in partnership with industry, local governments and others to plan, address and resolve local land use planning and management opportunities and challenges. (157 FTEs, net operating budget $16.4 million)

2. Agriculture and Aquaculture Management

Agriculture and Aquaculture Management provides policy and legislation leadership for the agriculture, food and aquaculture sectors. This business area is responsible for developing direction for the sectors through an Agriculture Plan and an Aquaculture Strategy for British Columbia, providing strategic support to the regulated marketing system and strengthening the Federal-Provincial relationship. It supports the Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) agreement, the vehicle through which the federal government and the province cost-share agriculture programs.

This business area coordinates invasive plant management and promotes communication and understanding of farming within local government and communities. Agriculture and Aquaculture Management is the lead for licensing, compliance and enforcement of aquaculture and livestock. In addition, it manages plant health and diagnostics, food safety and quality initiatives including science-based approaches to monitoring and product tracking (traceability) throughout the food production system and ensures food production systems support public health. This business area is also responsible for reducing the regulatory burden and barriers to international and inter-provincial trade. (83 FTEs, net operating budget $8.5 million)

3. Risk Management

Risk Management provides services and products that help to stabilize farm businesses when faced with severe weather, economic or other impacts that could otherwise put them out of business through products such as the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program (CAIS) and Production Insurance. (35 FTEs, net operating budget $27 million)

4. Crown Land Administration

This core business provides leadership across government for Crown land administration, including responsibility for development of a strategic Crown Land Allocation Framework and operational policy and procedures consistent with this framework. The development of tenure documents and planning tools, and completion of economic analyses are other areas of responsibility for this business area. In addition, the ministry provides leadership in the management of B.C.’s contaminated sites program by coordinating the identification and remediation of priority sites that are the responsibility of the Province. (146 FTEs, net operating budget $36.2 million)

5. Executive and Support Services¹

Executive and Support Services includes the Minister’s and Deputy Minister’s offices, and the operational budget for the Corporate Services Division. (10 FTEs, net operating budget $8.4 million)

Expenditures and FTEs allocated to each of these business areas are identified in the Resource Summary section, which follows.

1

Corporate Services Division (CSD), a component of Executive and Support Services, provides financial support, human resources, performance strategies and records management services for the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Integrated Land Management Bureau and Ministry of Environment, as well as the Agricultural Land Commission and the Environmental Assessment Office. The Ministry of Environment records CSD FTEs and recovers the full cost of services provided.