When it comes to agriculture and the environment, some people see agriculture as a solution, while others view it as a problem. And in politics, people with different perspectives and levels of awareness about farming often sit in the same caucus or cabinet, influencing where a party stands on environmental policies that affect agriculture. Canada's... Read More
Category: Emissions targets
This week, the Auditor General published an evaluation of the federal government has implemented its climate plan for agriculture, and the results were not good. My initial reaction to this was not shock or surprise, as the targets seemed lofty, difficult to measure, disconnected from actual practices, and more designed to grab headlines than actually... Read More
In the last eight years plus, Canadians have been asked to consult on several different proposed policy changes by the federal government. Some of these consultations move a policy forward. Others, like the Grain Act review process or the Sustainable Ag Strategy, results in a "What we heard" document and not much more. Then, there's... Read More
Canada's Auditor General was highly critical of the federal government's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture in an independent report released on Tuesday. The audit found Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has failed to design, implement and then track plans for how the agriculture sector will contribute to Canada’s 2030 and 2050 greenhouse... Read More
The development of Canada's biofuel sector was highlighted in the Canadian government's 2024 budget announced on April 16th, but ethanol was notably absent from the list of renewable fuel categories that will receive support. The budget included a commitment of $776 million for a retooled Clean Fuels Fund to drive production of renewable diesel, sustainable... Read More
Grain Growers of Canada has published a set of policy recommendations for government to support Canada's grain sector in its "Road to 2050" sustainability inititative. The policy recommendations would see government partner with grain farmers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, by increasing investment in public and private breeding research, expanding eligibility criteria and funding... Read More
When it comes to nitrous oxide emissions, there are many complex formulas that can be used to determine what is going on in the fields. Abby Sim, field technician at Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, says this is precisely why the Smart Farm at the college decided to look at estimating nitrous oxide emissions.... Read More
Egg Farmers of Canada has announced a commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The announcement was made during EFC's annual meeting in Ottawa this week, where it celebrated the 50th anniversary of the organization and supply management in Canadian egg production. "Stepping up our commitment to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions is a... Read More
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) published its "What We Heard" report on the feedback it received on its 30 per cent fertilizer emissions reduction policy on Wednesday, more than six months after consultations wrapped up. AAFC says it received over 2,000 submissions during the consultation period, which ran from March through August 2022. "Thank you... Read More
Net emissions from Canadian agriculture could be as low as 12 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. They may also be as high as 71 million. It all depends on which methodologies, data, and definitions are used to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide that's emitted, and the amount of carbon that's sequestered. This vast discrepancy... Read More