Federal Government Seeking Input on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target

Federal Government Seeking Input on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

A new round of consultations has been launched by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, (AAFC) in regards to how producers and industry stakeholders can help achieve the national target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with synthetic fertilizers by 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030.

According to a March 9 news release, AAFC will be hosting virtual discussions for participants throughout the country to continue the conversation on the emissions reduction target.

“AAFC will consult with Canadians, including producers, processors, Indigenous communities, women in agriculture, youth, environmental organizations, small and emerging sectors and other stakeholders and partners to develop a path forward.”

Darwin Ullery, Director of Agriculture and Utility Services for the County of Minburn, said they would be providing input and submitting a letter regarding the proposal.

When asked if in the grand scheme of things would a 30 percent reduction make a huge difference in terms of the environment? Ullery responded by stating, “The industry is known to be a net sequesterer of carbon, not a net emitter.” He explained that, “Farm grass, hay, and shelterbelts, all remove carbon from the atmosphere naturally. I’m just saying, agricultureas a whole, when you take all parts into consideration is a net sequesterer of carbon.”

Are there any other environmentally friendly options producers can use instead of synthetic fertilizers? “Not really, unless you have a lot of livestock, it’s pretty difficult to do.”

Ullery went on to say, “So, our concern is when you reduce fertilizer usage by 30 percent, you obviously reduce yield.”

That in turn increases the price of commodities, which then increases the price consumers pay for those products. “So, this is feeding food inflation. You’ve seen what the price of groceries have done in the last few months here. It’s already an inflationary environment. The government needs to do everything possible to not help feed that inflation.”

Stockpile of synthetic fertilizer.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

An example of this is the current price of fertilizer which has substantially increased in price. “It’s over double since December, 2021. In last three or four months it’s gone from $800 tonne on nitrogen and phosphorus to $1,500 tonne.” Typically one tonne would cover approximately 14 to 15 acres.

The news release also stated that, “AAFC met with producer groups and provincial and territorial partners in 2021 to discuss the emissions reduction target and initiate conversations on how to work together to develop a realistic approach.

Stakeholders identified important opportunities and challenges for industry which helped inform a Discussion Document that will stimulate discussion and lead to a shared understanding of how Canada can reach its 30 percent fertilizer emissions reduction target. The Discussion Document is now available for comment until June 3, 2022.

AAFC Senior Media Relations Advisor Cameron Newbigging said, “The target represents desired emissions reductions at the sector level, and does not represent a mandatory reduction in fertilizer emissions or use at the farm level.

The Government of Canada is focused on meeting this emissions reduction target through a range of policy measures and approaches, such as working with farmers to encourage broader adoption of new products and implementation of beneficial management practices, resulting in both economic benefits for farmers and environmental benefits for society. An important aspect of Canada’s path toward reaching the target while not compromising crop yields will require ongoing support from industry stakeholders.”