Grainswest - Fall 2021

Fall 2021 grainswest.com 31 Canada’s Changing Climate Report identifies agriculture as a sector that faces major threats. In coming years, southern Canada is expected to experience warming at twice the global average. Agriculture has also been pegged as an area in which outsized gains can be made in carbon sequestration and the reduction of emissions. In April, the federal government launched the new Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program, which aims to help Canadian agriculture develop and adopt strategies that sequester carbon and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The funding will be allocated to projects that accelerate the co-development, testing, adoption, dissemination and monitoring of carbon- and greenhouse gas-friendly technologies and practices, including beneficial management practices. This will allow the sector to take advantage of new opportunities related to the emergent green economy. ACS is a multi-stream program that falls under the $4 billion Natural Climate Solutions Fund. Over a 10-year period, ACS will allocate $385 million of this targeted cash. To meet its goals, ACS will establish a Canada-wide network of Living Labs. Working farms composed of individual networks of agricultural sites, a number of these have previously been set up. For each, a lead partner from the sector will bring together farmers, scientists and other key stakeholders who will co-develop practices to reduce Canada’s environmental footprint and enhance climate resiliency. For approved projects in provinces without existing Living Labs, the program will kick off in 2022. In Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, which all have Living Labs in place, the program will start in 2023. An additional two-part funding cycle will begin in 2027 and 2028. Proposed ACS projects within the priority areas of carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation will be considered, said Anna Pacheco, senior national co-ordinator, Living Laboratories Division, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). Possible carbon sequestration projects may study cover crops, intercropping and the inclusion of pulses in rotation. Possible greenhouse gas mitigation projects include nutrient management and feed strategies, the latter of which is most relevant to the livestock sector. In addition, applicants have been encouraged to indicate whether their projects may produce additional environmental benefits. These could include improved soil health, positive effects on water quality and conservation, increased biodiversity and benefits to wildlife and natural habitat. “What is different about it is that we are bringing the farmers in from the onset of the program, of the projects, and we are asking for their feedback in terms of what practices they believe can be innovated or refined,” said Pacheco of the Living Labs approach. “As scientific data are collected from the farmers’ fields and are evaluated, they continue to be involved by providing feedback throughout the duration of the project.” This emphasis on farmer participation is intended to improve the likelihood new management practices can and will be put to use on farms. The ACS project is not the sole initiative of its kind. A second Natural Climate Solutions funding stream relevant to agriculture is the On-Farm Climate Action Fund. A $200 million, three-year initiative that begins this year, it aims to support farmers in the adoption of beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will be implemented in the areas of nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing practices. Across the country, agricultural stakeholder groups expressed frustration they were not consulted when these policy and funding opportunities were being developed. Despite this criticism, the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), Alberta Barley and Alberta Beef Producers are among the program applicants. WESTERN CANADIAN FARMERS SURVEYED Following the launch of ACS, the office of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau approached industry groups such as the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) for feedback. Would farmers take advantage of the funding opportunity, and if not, why not? GGC sent out a member survey. While the questionnaire drew responses from just 40 people, these came primarily from farm group directors in the Prairie provinces that well understand the needs of farmers in their regions, said Erin Gowriluk, GGC executive director. The office of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau asked ag groups to comment on the practicality of the Agricultural Climate Solutions program. Photo:Courtesyof theGovernmentofCanada