Grainswest - Fall 2022

Fall 2022 Grains West 10 THE FARMGATE ACROSS CANADA, THE FEDERAL government continues its push of the ag industry towards greater sustainability to offset climate change. Its latest effort to that end is dubbed Agricultural Climate Solutions Liv- ing Labs (ACS), a 10-year $185 million initiative that will see farm-level uptake of both old and new solutions as a way to reduce greenhouses gases, namely carbon dioxide, as well as increase the resiliency of Canada’s food system. This new investment of $54 million will be dispersed between B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. One project, worth $8.5 million and led by Alberta Beef Producers (ABP), will focus on improving beef, forage and crop systems to improve soil carbon sequestra- tion and reduce GHGs. A second project, to be managed by the Alberta Conser- vation Association, will focus primarily on conservation to improve soil health, reduce costs of production, and sequester carbon in the soil using regenerative ag- riculture with $7.7 in funding. A third $6 million project, shared between Alberta and the B.C. Peace Region, will work toward similar ends, but is specific to its northern geography. According to ABP’s beef production and extension lead Karin Schmid, agriculture is collectively under a lot of pressure when it comes to environmental management. “On the whole, agricul- ture has a great story to tell. A program like this can really help to inform what management practices can improve pro- ductivity and profitability for producers while also having that positive environ- mental impact,” she said. The ABP-led project also has support from more than 10 additional organi- zations, including Alberta Barley, the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) and Canfax. Primary outcomes and best management practices the government hopes to develop include crop rotations and cropping systems, land use changes, grazing management, livestock feeding and nutrient management. Schmid explained Living Labs are less about traditional research and more about Less talk,morewalk Government programdesigned to spur greater adoption of Part of a 10-year, $185 million initiative, Alberta has been granted funds for three Living Labs projects. Here, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau tours the Quebec Living Lab site. new, existing BMPs