The Farmers for Climate Solutions has provided the federal government suggestions for how to better engage the agricultural sector in cutting Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The organization has proposed a package of initiatives that would cost the government $300 million over the next two years.
Farmers for Climate Solutions is a national alliance of farmer organizations and supporters who believe agriculture must be part of the solution to climate change. The proposed initiatives would reduce emissions by 10 megatonnes, by supporting more sustainable farming practices, from soil management to cattle grazing to wetlands preservation.
The $300 million budget is divided in 6 programs. The first two programs take up most of the budget, with a proposed $115 million going to each. The first program is “Doing more with less nitrogen.” The program is designed to improve nitrogen management by training agronomists and working with farmers. The second program is “Increasing adoption of cover cropping.” This program will encourage farmers to plant cover crops through a per-acre payment program.
The third program, “Normalizing rotational grazing,” will cost $25 million and emphasizes supporting ranchers to implement rotational grazing through a cost-share program for planning and infrastructure. With the support, ranchers will be able to create a detailed plan, and invest in new infrastructure like fencing and water sources to better adopt this practice.
The fourth program, with $30 million allocated, is “Protecting wetlands and trees on farms.” Between 2010 and 2017, Canada has lost 12,000 hectares of forest to agriculture every year, with about 365,000 hectares of wetlands at risk of being drained and converted to cropland. To protect this land, the program will hold a reverse auction, where eligible farmers can submit bids to implement permanent conservation agreements. The program will help cover the cost of revenue lost as a result of not being able to use these areas as farmland.
The fifth program, “Powering farms with clean energy,” will cost $10 million and aims to help the agricultural industry transition beyond diesel. This program will prioritize taking action in the clean energy transition of farm machinery and equipment.
The last program will cost $5 million and is “Celebrating climate champions.” This program will celebrate and highlight farmers who implement climate-friendly practices through an awards program and awareness campaigns. This program has hopes that when farmers see their peers successfully implement climate-friendly practices, it will encourage them towards that transition as well.
To see a full breakdown and details on each proposal, please follow this link: https://farmersforclimatesolutions.ca/budget-2021-recommendation/#programs