Regenerative farming needed

I was thrilled to hear that Premier Moe turned toward farmer Megz Reynolds’ invitation to take a seat in her harvest combine. Research shows that turning toward is the best response when seeking a positive outcome.

I wonder if Premier Moe or Reynolds are aware of the “4 per 1000” initiative? This initiative was launched by the French government at the COP21 Paris climate summit in 2015 and many countries signed on. It offers a positive climate change outcome.

The website 4p1000.org explains carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere at a rate of 4.3 billion tons per year. Soil contains 1,500 billion tons of carbon. By increasing the carbon in the soil by “4 per 1000” (0.4 per cent) per year, we can offset all our carbon emissions.

This offset can be done by shifting to regenerative agriculture practices like no-till. Plus, regenerative agriculture has other remarkable benefits; increased food security, healthier food and environment, reduced ocean acidification and lower input costs. (A local farmer who practises regenerative agriculture gleefully recounts his lower input costs, especially lower fuel costs.)

Individually, every bite we eat moves us toward or away from regenerative agriculture. Provincially, rather than turning against a carbon tax, would it be wiser to turn our province toward the “4 per 1000” solution?

Even if we win, turning against the carbon tax will not mitigate climate change. Encourage your MLA to consider the advantages of turning toward mitigating climate change and turning away from the need for a carbon tax.

Nancy Carswell, Shellbrook