February 9, 2018

New report shows Albertans concerned about loss of high quality agricultural land

EDMONTON, AB (February 13, 2018): A new report from the Alberta Land Institute found that high quality agricultural land in Alberta continues to be fragmented and lost and calls for greater discussion around land use policies to preserve quality agricultural land as Alberta grows. The report was conducted by Dr. Brent Swallow and Dr. Scott Jeffrey from the University of Alberta. It found that most…

January 15, 2018

In conversation with Michael Walters: Local food and agricultural land use

Albertans are increasingly aware of the importance of agricultural land in and around their urban areas. This land provides the food that Albertans enjoy at their grocery stores and local farmers markets. It connects Albertans to the province’s agricultural heritage and beautiful landscapes. And finally, it provides an incredible benefit to Alberta’s economy, both local and provincial. Where these…

January 8, 2018

Annual Report 2017

Today, the Alberta Land Institute (ALI) released its Annual Report for 2017. The past year, ALI saw growing influence among policy makers with several important, cutting-edge research projects completed. These include: Measuring conservation offsets: In-lieu payments and fees as a mechanism of environmental compensation; Systems modeling sustainable land and water policy in Alberta’s irrigation…

November 30, 2017

Tags: Research

Measuring conservation offsets: why it matters

It is becoming increasingly common for land and resource developers to offer, or be required, to provide compensation for the disturbance which they cause to natural ecosystems. One form of that compensation is payment to an agency that will use the funds to provide later benefits to the ecosystem. These are often referred to as “in-lieu” payments of fees because the payment is made in lieu…

November 22, 2017

New model for predicting water demand and expansion of irrigation highlight new Alberta Land Institute report

EDMONTON, AB (November 22, 2017): A new report released by the Alberta Land Institute highlights the economic benefits of expanding Alberta’s irrigation system and improved forecasting of agricultural and irrigation needs. The report Systems modelling for sustainable land and water policy in Alberta's irrigation sector, was prepared by Dr. Evan Davies at the University of Alberta. The new systems…