Farmers Welcome Agricultural Climate Solutions Program, Continue to Ask Government for Direct Support for Climate Action
New federal funding for climate research in agriculture is commendable but not sufficient to drive emissions reductions in our sector.
Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS) welcomes today’s announcement of a federal Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program. This nation-wide research collaboration with farmers to identify on-farm practices that address climate change is an important step in meeting Canada’s commitment to climate action in the agriculture sector. In addition to this new program, Federal investment that directly supports farmers to implement and quickly scale up climate-friendly farming practices is needed to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture.
That is why FCS continues to call for a new Federal investment of $300 million in Budget 2021 that would reduce our sector’s emissions by 15% and lay the groundwork for widespread adoption of climate-friendly farming. Through that funding, six high-impact programs would drive environmental benefits, create returns on investment for farmers, and ensure the competitiveness of our sector in the clean economy of the 21st century.
Arzeena Hamir, Amara Farm, BC
Farmers across Canada, like BC farmer Arzeena Hamir, are already on-board for a climate transition: “I have adopted a lot of the practices that Farmers for Climate Solutions is championing in their Budget 2021 Recommendation, and I have seen first-hand the positive impact they have had on my farm and my livelihood. But I faced substantial risks and upfront costs in changing practices, and I want to make sure that farmers in my community and across the country have the support they need to scale up these practices.”
Canada’s agricultural emissions are projected to rise over the next decade, and with only nine growing seasons left to meet our national commitments under the Paris Agreement, farmers need concrete support now to transition to lower-GHG practices. To accomplish that, research programs like the ACS must be augmented with direct support to farmers to reduce emissions.
Gillian Flies, The New Farm, ON
Ontario farmer Gillian Flies states: “As a farmer with over 15 years of experience on the land, I have seen dramatic changes in the weather. I know that I need to act now in order to secure a brighter future for myself and my family on my farm. While investment in research is important, farmers need concrete support in order to lower GHG emissions on our farms, and we can’t do this alone.”
“Farmers for Climate Solutions looks forward to Budget 2021,” says Saskatchewan farmer Ian McCreary, “because it’s an opportunity not to be missed by the government to make additional funding available to support farmers to be leaders on climate solutions through programs which we have demonstrated to have the potential to reduce Canada’s emissions from agriculture by 10Mt.”
Cover photo: Fall rye cover crop, which has been planted, without tillage, after beans, and before corn, on Jocelyn Michon's farm in La Présentation, Qc.