LWF calls for an environmental review of Manitoba's hog industry
Posted: November 10, 2025
LWF has written to provincial environment minister Mike Moyes, asking that he direct Manitoba’s Clean Environment Commission (CEC) to review the environmental sustainability of the hog industry.
The Clean Environment Commission's 2007 review
In 2007, the CEC produced a report titled “Environmental Sustainability and Hog Production in Manitoba,” at the request of Manitoba’s then-minister of conservation. The report included 48 recommendations, of which 26 relate directly to the impacts of hog production on Manitoba’s water quality. Chief among these was a call for a full review – within five years – of the effectiveness of provincial regulations in managing phosphorus from hog manure.
The Commission warned that “the regional imbalances that have developed between the application and removal of nutrients and the potential impact of these nutrients on water resources constitute the most serious environmental sustainability issues facing the industry.”
In March 2008, the provincial government announced its acceptance of the Commission’s report and its 48 recommendations, and halted hog industry expansion in southeastern Manitoba, the Red River Valley and the Interlake. These three regions were recognized as intensively developed, high-risk, and ecologically sensitive, respectively. The government also strengthened environmental protections in the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation.
Regulatory changes lack evidence
A decade after the CEC's report, in 2017, the provincial government again amended manure management regulations, this time removing regional restrictions on hog industry expansion. These changes were made in the absence of any evidence demonstrating that industry growth – and the associated increase in manure application to agricultural fields – could be undertaken without increasing phosphorus runoff to Lake Winnipeg.
To date, the comprehensive regulatory review requested by the CEC in 2007 has not been undertaken.
A fulsome review is required
Now, we are urging Minister Moyes to engage the newly appointed CEC in a fulsome review of the environmental impacts of Manitoba’s hog industry. In particular, we emphasize the need to address long-standing gaps in our understanding of hog manure’s contribution to phosphorus loading to Lake Winnipeg. We also call for an up-to-date evaluation of the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework in protecting provincial water quality.
Take action! Add your voice to the call for a Clean Environment Commission review of the hog industry. Email Minister Mike Moyes at minecc@manitoba.ca.
Background on the Clean Environment Commission
Manitoba’s Clean Environment Commission was established in 1988 under the Environment Act to provide a forum for public participation in environmental decision-making.
As a rule, the CEC is engaged by the provincial minister of environment, who may request a review of the environmental impacts of proposed developments, or call for an investigation into a matter of concern to the public.
To fulfill ministerial requests, the Commission holds public hearings, conducts in-depth studies, receives written submissions, and reviews relevant research and reports. From these proceedings, the Commission reports back to the environment minister with advice and recommendations, ensuring that Manitobans’ voices are heard in the protection of our environment.
Most recently, in response to appeals from the public, the CEC was asked by Minister Moyes to conduct a public hearing regarding the environmental impacts of a proposed wastewater lagoon. In previous years, the Commission has reviewed the impacts of hydro-electric generation and transmission and of Winnipeg’s wastewater treatment.
Learn more at cecmanitoba.ca.