ECOCERT Canada, Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, UPA, and nine other projects to receive over $35 million in funding from the Government of Canada.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com
As part of its On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), the Government of Canada's Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program is providing over $35 million to help Quebec farmers tackle climate change.
Released on March 29, 2022, the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Canada's Next Steps to Clean Air and a Strong Economy includes added federal investment of over $1 billion in the agriculture sector to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.
Although this announcement deals solely with Quebec, the Government is looking to provide investment monies across the provinces to help farmers and ag organizations adopt clean technologies and sustainable agricultural practices to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Visiting Ferme Roflamme Inc. in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, discussed the investments to help Quebec farmers build climate change resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Minister Bibeau highlighted the federal partnership with three organizations and projects for the delivery of funding under the On-Farm Climate Action Fund to farmers in Quebec.
- L'Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), in collaboration with Producteurs de grains du Québec: up to $19 million to support Quebec farmers to adopt beneficial management practices for cover cropping and nitrogen management.
- Canadian Forage and Grassland Association: up to $10 million to support Quebec farmers as well as farmers across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to plan and implement rotational grazing practices.
- ECOCERT Canada: up to $4.5 million to help certified organic farmers in Quebec and across Canada to adopt beneficial management practices for cover cropping and nitrogen management.
- In addition, the Government of Canada will invest $1.9 million to support nine projects across Quebec, including Ferme Roflamme, under the first phase of the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program. This initiative encourages the development and adoption of clean technologies and helps farmers boost their long-term competitiveness. This funding is focused on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and the bioeconomy.
The ACT Program is part of the first wave of approved projects to help farmers boost their long-term competitiveness while cutting emissions.
Activities supported through the fund are expected to reduce GHG emissions by up to 2 million tonnes by 2024, while improving the health and resiliency of farmers' soil.
As part of the Emissions Reduction Plan launched earlier last month, the Government of Canada has committed over $1 billion in new funding to accelerate the agriculture sector's progress on reducing emissions and remaining a global leader in sustainable agriculture.
These new measures aim to reverse the sector's emissions since 2005 and reduce net emissions in the future. These efforts should represent a reduction of up to 13 Mt, which is a decrease from 72 Mt in 2005.
"Climate change is having a significant impact on agricultural producers and they are committed to doing what it takes to mitigate its effects. Our government is making significant investments in a variety of agri-environmental programs to help them become more resilient and reduce their environmental footprint. By supporting them financially in adopting best practices and acquiring equipment that reduces emissions, we are giving ourselves the means to reach our goals by 2030," stated Bibeau.
In addition to the OFCAF and the ACT program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada launched the $185-million ACS – Living Labs stream in 2021 to support carbon sequestration and GHG emission reduction.
As all Canadian farmers know, Canada has joined over 120 countries in committing to net-zero emissions by 2050, including all other G7 nations—United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan.