The politics of pork: Achieving inclusive decision making through public participation in rural Manitoba

This study presents research regarding public participation in the review of the environmental sustainability of hog production in Manitoba. The process was initiated following the November 8th, 2006, announcement by the Province of Manitoba to place a temporary moratorium on the expansion of the hog industry in the province. With the power granted to him under Section 6(5) of The Environment Act, the Minister of Conservation, Stan Struthers, requested that the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) conduct an investigation into the environmental sustainability of hog production in Manitoba. One of the terms of reference necessitated that the CEC's investigation include a public component, namely public hearings.In total, 37 interview participants participated in 29 private interviews. These participants came from numerous areas of the province, and the vast majority were of rural background. A significant level of participation in interviews occurred in the RMs of Lorne and South Norfolk. A total of 58% of participants found the hog industry in Manitoba to be unsustainable as currently operated. Key concerns about the sustainability of the hog industry were water quality, manure management, odour, communicating with environment officers, biased decision making, and the socioeconomic impacts.Participants learned about the hog industry largely at the individual scale, and through their experiences living and working in rural areas. In addition newspapers, such as the local paper and the Manitoba Cooperator, were found to be significant sources of information about the industry.The majority of participants did not participate in the CEC's public hearings process. However, the participants expressed a desire for more communication between the general public and decision makers. They recommended more informal avenues of dialogue and discussion regarding their concerns about the hog industry. Furthermore, participants who were neighbours to hog barns had either burned out in their participation in local hog issues or found the prospect of attending public hearings too intimidating. A great appreciation was relayed by participants for the opportunity to participate in the decision making process through interviews.The CEC, partly in recognition of the controversy surrounding the hog industry, and the consequent reluctance of some participants to speak publicly about it, sought to initiate dialogue with those members of the public that chose not to participate in the CEC hog hearings. Therefore the purpose of the research was to learn the opinions of those Manitobans, who were not inclined to participate in public hearings. In learning about participant opinions on the hog industry, the research also explores how the public participation process might become more inclusive and participatory.