If the B.C. Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB) receives a complaint about your farm, you will have the opportunity to respond.
The complaint process follows BCFIRB’s Rules of Practice and Procedure for Complaints (PDF, 389KB), which outline the steps, deadlines and legal requirements.
Before you respond
Before responding, you should:
Find advice and support
Get support to help navigate the process and resolve disputes from:
How long the complaint process takes
After BCFIRB receives a complaint, the process usually takes 120 business days to hold a hearing (about 24 weeks) and 35 more business days for a decision (about 7 weeks). Timelines may be extended for longer or more complex cases.
Timelines are defined in the Farm Practices Protection Act Practice Directive (PDF, 367KB)
After you receive a complaint
Once BCFIRB receives and accepts a complaint about your farm, we will notify you. We will also provide a copy of the Notice of Complaint.
Step 1: Review the complaint
You should:
- Read the Notice of Complaint carefully
- Ensure you understand what is causing the issue
- Understand your Right to Farm rights and what the law considers to be normal farm practices
You can then decide how you want to respond. You can:
- Provide a formal response to BCFIRB and proceed through the complaints process
- Request mediation or a facilitated settlement
BCFIRB will schedule a conference call to clarify specific issues in the complaint and explain the next steps.
Step 2: Prepare and submit your response
BCFIRB will give you a deadline and instructions for how to submit your response. To prepare your response:
- Review the specific concerns raised in the complaint
- Examine how your farm activities may be causing the issues, and document your findings
- Gather supporting evidence (for example, farm records, photographs, expert opinions, or compliance documents)
- Send your response to BCFIRB as instructed
Tips to strengthen your response
Farmers who are successful in complaints often:
- Acknowledge concerns – show you’ve listened and considered how your practices affect others, even if you disagree
- Demonstrate normal practice – back up your approach with industry standards, expert input, or comparisons to accepted practices
- Keep good records – nutrient plans, animal care logs, and spray schedules can demonstrate responsible management
- Stay factual and professional – focus on clear explanations and evidence, not emotion or defensiveness
- Consider early solutions – explore mediation, adjustments, or settlement options that can resolve issues before they escalate
Common responses to complaints
The Right to Farm protects normal farm practices. You must show that your farm activities meet these criteria. If you can’t, BCFIRB may order you to change or stop them.
A strong response to a farm practices complaint should show:
You are complying with laws and regulations
Farmers should show and explain how they are operating legally and safely. Compliance documentation (for example, inspection reports or agri-environmental risk assessments) can be helpful.
To qualify for Right to Farm protections, your farm operations must follow:
- Public Health Act
- Environmental Management Act
- Integrated Pest Management Act
- All applicable land use regulations
The practice is normal within your industry
A normal farm practice is one used by similar farms, in similar circumstances.
You must show that you are operating in line with common practices for your sector.
Refer to industry association resources and codes of practice to help you.
You have made efforts to reduce disturbance
It helps to show that you have:
- Considered the effects your farm operations have on people living nearby
- Taken proactive steps to minimize disturbance or disruption
- Acted quickly to try and resolve issues
To demonstrate your actions, consider:
- Keeping records of conversations with your neighbours
- Documenting any actions you took to try and resolve the issues
If you need help
If you have concerns or are unsure about any part of the process, contact BCFIRB for help.