Who is a farmer in Québec? Institutional ambiguities and challenges for rural development
The question of who should or should not be considered a farmer is often regarded as self-evident. In Québec, the Farm Producers Act serves as a reference for defining who is a farmer. As in many countries, the definition adopted is broad and inclusive. Even so, does this mean that agricultural policies in Québec treat all farmers equally? Our analysis of the official definitions applied by organizations involved in agriculture shows that the broad legal definition of a farmer is made more precise by the internal parameters applied by a variety of organizations. We also find significant differences between agricultural sectors in terms, for example, of access to crop and revenue insurance or to funding assistance for getting started in the field. These differences highlight a widespread perception of farmers as people who necessarily make their living primarily from agriculture. Finally, we demonstrate how, above and beyond the definitions themselves, the ways in which they are applied clearly have an impact on Québec’s land use and agricultural renewal policies.