Canadian farmers on their way to COP26 Climate Conference

“Farmers have everything at stake as the UN COP26 climate talks begin in Scotland. Farmers will be among the first and the hardest hit if the world doesn’t slash emissions. Drought, floods, and extreme weather are already hitting many Canadian farms. But also, as emitters ourselves, farmers want to contribute solutions. And we want rapid emission reductions from all sectors. These are the messages we’re taking to Glasgow,” said NFU Youth President and Ontario farmer Stuart Oke, about to depart for the UNFCCC COP26 climate negotiations that begin October 31st. Oke is one of six National Farmers Union (NFU) representatives going to the UN talks. The six farmers will engage with negotiators; underscore that farmers and Indigenous peoples are among those most directly impacted by climate change; build solidarity with allies; push for justice and equity in the UN process; and advance solutions such as low-input agriculture, agroecology, and Food Sovereignty. “Many Canadian farmers suffered a crushing drought this year. Fires, floods, and other climate impacts hit others. We’re already feeling the effects of an increasingly hostile climate. And like every other sector of our economy, we also contribute to climate change—our farms produce greenhouse gases. Thus, we want to do our part; we want to partner with governments to transform our food systems and slash emissions,” said Tiffany Traverse, BC farmer, also on her way to Glasgow. En route to the UN talks, Saskatchewan farmer Glenn Wright added: “This year my Saskatchewan farm was hit hard by drought. I’ve watched as the climate has become more extreme and damaging. At the same time, I’ve taken actions on my farm to reduce fossil fuel and farm input use and to dramatically cut our emissions. I’m going to the COP26 talks in Scotland to let our leaders know that solutions are urgently needed and available, and that farmers want to help lead the way.”