News

Project: Agricultural Land Use Planning in Canada

A multi-institutional research project entitled “Agricultural Land Use Planning in Canada: A Study of Principles and Beneficial Practices for Agriculture and Food Across Jurisdictions” has openings for up to four Masters students at different locations across Canada.

Working in a team environment, the successful candidates will contribute to a pan-Canadian study focussing on a range of policy and land-use planning issues as they pertain to farmland preservation, food sovereignty, and global competiveness of the agri-food sector.

The purpose of our research is to examine how the changing role and value of agriculture within Canadian society today might affect agricultural land use planning within and across national, provincial, and local jurisdictions.

We have three objectives: (1) To analyse the dominant policy regimes within Canada’s agri-food system; (2) To undertake case studies to fill strategic gaps in our
understanding of how agricultural land use planning processes accommodate these planning regimes; (3) To host a series of regional workshops and a national forum focussed on applying beneficial practices in agricultural land use planning.

Our aim is to formulate policy recommendations for agricultural land use planning across Canada that help to conserve farmland and promote farming as the highest and best use of these lands.

The primary responsibility of the Masters students is to help complete field research for the case studies. Candidates with backgrounds in planning, geography, resource management, political science, sociology, or anthropology are encouraged to apply. Students are expected to complete their theses on a topic related to agricultural land use planning at the University to which they apply.

All positions are fully funded.

Early applicants have the possibility of a September, 2013, start, although it is anticipated that most students will commence their studies in January or September, 2014. Students must be available to work no later than May, 2014.

We will accept applications until the positions are filled (subject to admission to the respective university’s graduate program). The participating institutions and respective contacts are:

University of Northern British Columbia: Dr. David Connell (Project Lead) (david.connell@unbc.ca)
Brandon University: Dr. Doug Ramsey (ramsey@brandonu.ca)
Dalhousie University: Dr. Greg Cameron (gregory.cameron@dal.ca)
University of Lethbridge: Dr. Tom Johnston (Johnston@uelth.ca)
Positions at the University of Guelph (Dr. Wayne Caldwell, wcaldwel@uoguelph.ca) and the Université de Montréal (Dr. Chris Bryant - christopher.robin.bryant@gmail.com and Dr. Claude Marois - claude.marois@umontreal.ca) are filled.

Interested students are encouraged to contact any of the participating institutions and contacts for this and related opportunities in their department