Commission Overview

Purpose of Commission

The Agricultural Land Commission is the provincial agency responsible for administering the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), a provincial land use zone in favour of agriculture. The purposes of the Commission are:

1. to preserve agricultural land;
2. to encourage farming on agricultural land in collaboration with other communities of interest; and
3. to encourage local governments, First Nations, the government and its agents to enable and accommodate farm use of agricultural land and uses compatible with agriculture in their plans, bylaws and policies.

The Agricultural Land Commission Act sets out processes for land use approvals including the inclusion or removal of land from the ALR and non-farm uses and subdivisions of land within the ALR. The Act is supported by the Agricultural Land Reserve Use, Subdivision and Procedure Regulation, which details procedures for applications and defines permitted land uses and land subdivisions within the ALR.

The Act is administered by a government-appointed Commission consisting of 19 members including a Chair and six panels for six geographical regions of the province. Each panel has three members including a Vice-chair.

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

The preservation of British Columbia's agricultural land as the basis of the food system and related agricultural economy.

Mission

Preserve agricultural land and encourage and enable farm businesses throughout British Columbia.

Values

The Commission values:

1. the benefits of agricultural land preservation;
2. its role as an independent administrative tribunal;
3. partnerships and collaboration with other governments and agencies;
4. technical information on which to base decisions;
5. the judgement and experience of members and staff;
6. transparency and fairness in decision making; and
7. responsiveness to applicants and the public.