Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for inviting me to speak again today.
You'll recall that I'm a farmer and rancher. I'm in Norfolk County, Ontario, and I am also the CEO of the only farmer-led community-based charitable organization in Canada, delivering nature-based solutions on farmland. Our organization is called ALUS. It has been implementing one of the most effective and scalable solutions to water quality protection for nearly two decades now. We build and restore natural infrastructure on marginal or uneconomic farmlands.
We know that the solution can exist at the grassroots because we have supported over 1,600 Canadian farm families and ranchers in building nature-based solutions that enhance natural infrastructure on their lands to protect water quantity and quality, including restoring and/or creating tens of thousands of acres of wetland habitat.
Our network is now delivered through 40 community partners that provide our grassroots backbone, knowledge and support. ALUS has demonstrated how the agricultural community can deliver effective solutions to freshwater quality concerns across the country. We recommend that the committee recognize the opportunity for the Government of Canada to invest in our network of farmers and ranchers who stand ready to scale their efforts and deliver measurable water quality outcomes through nature-based solutions for the benefit of Canadians.