Canadian farmers issue urgent call for $300 million to cut agricultural emissions

Groundbreaking Task Force report shows what’s needed to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million tonnes.

With Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the rise – posing a threat to farmers’ livelihoods and endangering the food supply of Canadians – a group of farmers is asking for investment in next month’s federal budget to help reverse the trend.

The national farmer-led coalition Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS) is calling on Ottawa for a $300 million investment to reduce agricultural emissions by 10 million tonnes. This is the central demand of a first-of its-kind report published by the FCS farmer-led Task Force composed of farmers, agricultural economists, climate scientists and policy experts. This investment would support farmers to jumpstart GHG reductions in agriculture, build resilience to protect Canadian Agriculture, and help Canada meet its 2030 Paris Agreement target

“Most Canadians, and almost all supply chains, are asking for more sustainable food and farming,” said Ian McCreary, farmer in Saskatchewan and Task Force Co-Chair.

“But as a farmer, what is troubling, is that our emissions in Canadian agriculture are steadily increasing.” McCreary also noted that at the same time, farmers are on the front line from severe environmental events linked to climate change, to the tune of $2 billion in damages in 2018 alone.

“On Canada’s Agriculture Day, farmers are speaking up to say we want to and can be part of the solution to climate change, and that’s why we are introducing today a wellresearched plan to help farmers scale-up climate solutions from coast to coast. We urgently need the government’s support to roll it out,” McCreary said.

“Other Canadian sectors are being well-supported to reduce emissions and reskill the labour force, but farmers are being left behind,” Arzeena Hamir, BC farmer and Task Force Co-Chair explained. “Also, other countries are investing significantly more in farmers and ranchers to adopt climatefriendly practices. With only nine growing seasons left until the 2030 Paris Agreement target, now is the time to close the funding gap,” she said, adding that $300 million pales in comparison to the cost of ongoing environmental damage.

The plan: A down payment for a resilient future

The Task Force report – compiled by a unique interdisciplinary group led by farmers and supported with hard data from GHG modellers, agricultural economists, farmers, equity analysts, and international and domestic policy experts – proposes six programs designed to decrease emissions by 10 million tonnes.

1. Doing more with less nitrogen by having agronomists and farmers work together to improve nitrogen management through a cost-share program.

2. Increasing adoption of cover cropping by supporting farmers to plant cover crops through a per-acre payment program.

3. Normalizing rotational grazing by supporting ranchers to implement rotational grazing through a cost-share program for planning and infrastructure.

4. Protecting wetlands and trees on working farms through a reverse auction pilot program to conserve existing forests and wetlands.

5. Powering farms with clean energy by transitioning onfarm energy beyond diesel through pilot programs.

6. Celebrating climate champions by shining a light on farmers who implement climate-friendly practices through an awards program and awareness campaigns.

More information and a copy of the report can be found at https:// farmersforclimatesolutions.ca/budget-2021-recommendation.