Tension between agriculture and other rural water users will likely continue until a new balance is reached in the interplay of society's demand for both high-quality agricultural products and environmental protection, and the realities of farming in today's economic and global climate. With the prospect of periodic drought in the Prairies and some parts of Ontario, water use becomes a critical component in farm planning. At a grander scale, with the potential for climate change and global warming, it is possible that water quantity in the agricultural regions of Canada will change in such a way as to require changes in many agricultural practices. To stay afloat financially in today's competitive world, they must make production decisions that are affordable. As a rule, farmers voluntarily adopt conservation practices when they improve, or at least do not diminish, the economic status of their operations.
Conservation tillage is an example of such a practice.
As reduced-tillage implements became more available and affordable, a growing number of farmers took up the practice, because it reduces the amount of field work needed and helps protect the soil. In other cases, the methods and technologies needed to protect natural resources are either not yet available, or are too expensive for the average farmer. Continued research is needed to develop these methods and to make them practical and cost effective for farmers. The societal benefits of protecting our water resources could lead to cost-sharing agreements among environmental groups, governments, and farmers to make the goals of water stewardship affordable. Continued development of a conservation ethic is also needed if we are to make further progress toward sustainable agricultural practice and sustainable natural ecosystems.