NDP Agriculture critic Lana Popham was in Kimberley this week talking sustainability and hosting a very well attended forum on the subject.

Popham comes from a farming background and food security and the sustainability of the agriculture industry is her cause.

"This province is not even close to being able to sustain itself as far as food production goes," she said.

Sustainability takes into account everything that goes into food production -transportation, the environment, the carbon foot print, everything.

"Everything in the equation has to work. In food production, the equation is falling apart. We are dependent for food on places that could be affected by climate change."

Popham believes British Columbia should be looking at what it can produce.

"You have to look at each region's potential," she said. "We can't all produce beer, we can't all produce grain, but some can. Agriculture drives our domestic economy and we have abandoned it."

Popham has been travelling the East Kootenays this week, meeting with small farmers and the people who run farmers' markets.

"There is amazing inspiration out there, incredible ides and solutions and a ton of knowledge," she said.

With interest in food sustainability growing at a local level, she believes now is the time for the agriculture sector to take advantage of it.

"People will buy BC grown, they want it. We have the lowest provincial support for agriculture. We have an agricultural plan that is not being followed. The ALR is losing land because the commission is not being funded enough.

"Going into communities like this is part of creating a plan. There's been a lack of consultation."