By Jean-Paul McDonald
Farms.com
Grain Farmers of Ontario, representing 28,000 farmers, celebrates the legislative recognition of Canadian agricultural feedstocks in the Clean Fuel Regulations. This recognition simplifies compliance for farmers and supports sustainability in the biofuel market.
Previously, farmers selling crops into the biofuel market had to prove compliance with the land use and biodiversity (LUB) criteria individually. However, with legislative recognition, crops grown in Canada for biofuels are pre-determined to be compliant with the regulations' LUB criteria. Farmers will now need only to make an annual declaration that their crops were grown in Canada, ensuring compliance with the criteria.
Dana Dickerson, Manager of Market Development and Sustainability at Grain Farmers of Ontario, expressed their satisfaction with this development. She stated, "We have been working diligently on the Clean Fuel Regulations for years to ensure that market access remains streamlined for Ontario grain farmers, who are known as strong environmental stewards. We very much welcome this legislative recognition."
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada conducted a review and determined that existing Canadian legislation achieves the same outcomes as the LUB requirements for global feedstocks under the regulations.
Biofuels are a critical market for Ontario corn, representing 33% of end-use market utilization. With growing demand for low-carbon biofuels in North America, this legislative recognition is a significant step in supporting sustainable agriculture practices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuel.