National Farmers Union (NFU) released the first report that details greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian agriculture and the production of associated farm inputs.
Canada has committed to reduce economy wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, and to reach net zero by 2050.
Nearly one-third of total agricultural emissions are related to fossil fuels and carbon dioxide.
Canadian agriculture emissions are high and rising. The main driver for the increase is rising rates of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use.
The largest single contributor to agriculture greenhouse gas emissions is beef production.
Darrin Qualman, Director of Climate Crisis Policy and Action NFU, explains that a detailed form of emissions is needed in order to form a foundation for on-farm actions to reduce emissions and for government actions to provide incentives for those actions.
The report is divided into the following four parts:
- A step toward a more complete picture of agriculture GHG emissions
- A comprehensive, detailed picture of agriculture GHG emissions
- A high-level analysis of Canadian agricultural emissions
- Detailed notes, analysis, and sources for emissions categories
The report was conducted by members, officials and staff of the National Farmers Union, and was peer-reviewed by current and former Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment and Climate Chance Canada staff, as well as academics and other experts.
To read the full report, visit here.