We might reflect on why the Dodo became extinct. It was doing no harm as it lived quietly on the island of Mauritius but fell victim to ignorant humans and rampant exploitation.
Will our farms and farmers face a similar future on this island and will we be reduced to eating architects, planners and concrete? Mauritius has to import 70 per cent of its net food requirements. Vancouver Island farmers produced as much as 85 per cent of the Island’s food supply as recently as the1950s, while current agricultural production was estimated to supply only five to 10 per cent of the Island’s food supply as of 2004 (Jared Smith,UVic). And don’t forget the Times Colonist headline of March 7 “Ferry hike expected to push up food costs” (by more than four per cent).
David Olsen
North Saanich