Professionals should be prepared to defend their work and opinions in public, said the mayor of the city at the centre of a conflict among farm scientists.

“I believe in openness and transparency,” said Delta mayor Lois Jackson. “When I'm criticized it's on page one of the paper.”

Jackson and the council were the recipients of a July 26, 2007 letter from Susan Ames encouraging them to be cautious about allowing land to be withdrawn from the Agricultural Land Reserve for a housing development.

The B.C. Institute of Agrologists disciplined Ames under its code of ethics for writing the letter. A group of senior agrologists has called the disciplining a “grave injustice” that “muzzles” scientists who are trying to act in the public interest, the Tyee reported.

“I think everyone should come forward if they feel they have a story to tell or information to bring,” said Jackson, who is also chair of the Greater Vancouver Regional District board.

The council heard from around 200 people, she said, before approving in a 5-2 vote a revised project that included allowing some housing and protecting some farm land. “From my perspective, the more information I can have on a topic, hopefully, the better decision I can make.”

While she wouldn't presume to tell bodies like the BCIA how to conduct their business, she said, she added, “Everybody's got all this secret stuff going on. Is that really in the public interest?”

Farm and food issues in particular need vigorous debate and awareness, she said, citing the fight over the future of the UBC farm. The farm should be expanded, not shrunk, she said. “The people in this region, even though many of them live in high rises, have to learn our food is one of our most important, valuable assets.”

Wendy Holm, the agrologist who spoke to the Tyee about “muzzling” within the BCIA, is now the subject of a code of ethics complaint herself.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.