GUELPH – The federal Minister of Agriculture and Agrifood said increasing investment to address climate change in agriculture will benefit local farmers.
On Wednesday, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers wrapped up an annual conference in town by issuing what they called the Guelph Statement.
The Guelph Statement is a vision setting the direction for the next policy framework for agriculture to launch in spring 2022.
Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a press conference this positions Canada “as a world leader in sustainable agriculture and agrifood production and drives forward to 2028 from a solid foundation of regional trends and diversity as well as the strong leadership of the provinces and territories in order to rise to the climate change challenge.”
A press release notes the five priority areas for the future framework are: climate change and the environment; science, research and innovation; market development and trade; building sector capacity and growth; resiliency and public trust.
In an interview after the press conference, Bibeau said there are direct financial benefits for farmers looking to address emissions.
For example, there is a $200 million for the agriculture climate solution program which will roll out very soon.
“These will be direct financial incentive to adopt better practices such as rotational grazing, cover cropping, drying systems, better management of fertilizer,” Bibeau said.
The other is investment in clean technology adoption. Bibeau said they have committed to tripling the amount to nearly half a billion dollars.
She also highlighted the Canadian Agricultural Partnership with provinces and territories with $3 billion committed over five years. These programs include federal ones and also cost-shared ones with provinces.
Making agriculture more sustainable isn’t just an environmental move but a smart business-move as well.
“Sustainable agriculture is absolutely necessary to make sure that we keep our industry competitive,” Bibeau said. “Our trading partners are doubling down, so we too have to double down as well because we would lose our competitive advantage.”
Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield said the increased focus on research, such as the recently announced Ontario Swine Research Centre in Elora, is good news for local farmers.
“I think the continued joint investment with the province on the research and innovation on the processor side is going to help the farmers find new markets for their products,” Longfield said.
Bibeau added the research also relates to their ambition to lower emissions in the agricultural sector.
