Politics, Policy, Settlers, and Consequences for Canadian Prairie
                        Grasslands: A Range Management Perspective

Bailey, Arthur W.; Schellenberg, Michael P.; McCartney, D. H.

doi:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v32i5_mccartney

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…While there were some disturbances to the prairie grassland before European contact, the disruptions introduced by agriculture beginning in the 19th century and the rapid expansion of resource extraction economies over the last five decades have been ecologically disastrous (Willms et al, 2011). Only 27 million acres of native prairie grasslands remains out of the 150 million acres that once extended across southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta (Bailey et al, 2010).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Land imaginaries” in Western Canada: (financial) neoliberalism, agrarianism, and the contemporary politics of agricultural land

Beingessner

Magnan

Wendimu

2022

Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space

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This article examines contemporary political controversies over agricultural land in the prairie region of Canada. We suggest that contemporary land politics reflect elements of continuity and change in a distinctive “land imaginary” connected to the region’s history and recent restructuring. While neoliberalism, and more recently, financialization, have been the main drivers of restructuring in recent decades, certain strands of agrarianism continue to shape social relations in the agricultural sector. We present three case studies, the first of which examines the controversy over institutional investment in farmland, focusing on the Canada Pension Plan’s large-scale purchase of Saskatchewan land. The second case study examines conflicts over the deregulation of government-run community pastures, with implications for the ranching sector, environmental conservation, and the future of native prairie. Our third case study focuses on the proposed sale and land-use conversion of government-owned pasture land in Alberta, dubbed “Potatogate”. We examine the role of farmers, ranchers, governments, NGOs, and private interests in shaping debates over land ownership and use. We argue that these conflicts reveal a tension between (financial) neoliberalism and agrarian arguments and values, with significant differences across agricultural sub-sectors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%