By Alice McFarlane

“What We Heard” report released on fertilizer emissions reduction policy

Mar 23, 2023 | 4:25 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has released its report on fertilizer emissions reduction targets and has outlined the next steps.

The government has set a target of 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030.

Consultations were held to gather feedback on how best to support farmers and producers through voluntary measures.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said over 2,000 submissions were received through the online consultation, technical workshops and town hall meetings between March and October 2022.

Farmers, producers, industry associations, provinces and territories, scientists and environmental organizations provided their input. Based on this information, AAFC published the ‘What We Heard Report.’

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Bibeau said the federal government’s goal is to invest in practices that are effective in reducing emissions and regenerating soil.

“I want to thank everyone who participated in the consultation process. Your feedback will contribute to how we reach our ambitious target and ensure the sector’s success,” Bibeau said.

Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) President Keith Currie said there is a diversity of perspectives on many key issues. He said he was pleased to see the report identify the importance of further producer engagement.

“We are pleased to see the report highlight the key themes we continue to explore in the context of the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy such as the importance of data capturing regional variation and accurately depicting on-farm emissions, and the need for incentives to effectively support adoption of best practices,” Currie said. “Most importantly, we are pleased to see the report factor in producer profitability.”

Fertilizer Canada President & CEO Karen Proud said she was happy to see universal support of 4R Nutrient Stewardship.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the government and producers to improve measurement and accelerate the adoption of 4R Best Management Practices, which reduce emissions and increases productivity,” Proud said.

A Fertilizer Working Group has being formed and will work with industry and government to share information, identify resources to reduce emissions from fertilizers, and improve the measurement and tracking of fertilizer emissions

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW