Agriculture today must balance a wide array of demands and environmental challenges that are continually evolving in their nature and complexity. A major challenge is achieving long term environmental sustainability of production. At the same time, agriculture is increasingly valued by Canadians for its environmental benefits, including its provision of some wildlife habitat; the visual beauty of farmland; and environmental services, such as nutrient cycling and the storage and filtering of water. Governments, farmers, and others have worked together for many years to promote research, programming, and related actions to address environmental concerns. However, an environmentally sustainable form of agriculture is now more urgently needed. The policy challenge in agriculture - to ensure optimal and sustainable social, economic, and environmental benefits-has become more pressing and complex than ever.