Climate Change Top Challenge for Agriculture: Survey

Dec 13, 2024

Climate change will be the top challenge for Canadian agriculture over the next decade, according to a survey of farmers.

Almost 18% of the more than 850 farmers surveyed cited climate change as the as sector’s primary challenge, putting it ahead of other major concerns including input costs (17.2%), government policy and regulations (11.5%), and market uncertainty and commodity price volatility (9.8%). Severe weather events were identified by a further 6% of respondents, meaning weather was on the mind of almost one-quarter of those surveyed.

Commissioned Farmers for Climate Solutions and undertaken by market research firm Leger, the survey was carried out between Aug. 8 and Sept. 4.

Over 76% of respondents reported being impacted by severe weather in the past five years, while a significant portion anticipates that climate change will lead to stricter policies, lower incomes, and increased mental health challenges.

“These concerns highlight the multifaceted challenges that climate change poses to the agriculture sector, affecting both economic outcomes and the well-being of farmers, ranchers, and their communities,” the survey report said.

But while climate change ranks as a top challenge nationwide, its importance varies regionally. For example, in Eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada), climate change was by far the top concern, cited by about 14% of respondents, with input costs and government policies next in order. In Western Canada - BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba - input costs and government policies were seen as the top challenges, with climate change ranking third, cited by about 4% of respondents.

Other key findings of the survey:

86% of farmers and ranchers consider themselves good stewards of the land, and 46% feel they can do more to improve environmental outcomes on their operations.

Almost 94% of farmers and ranchers see improving soil health as a top priority, while 87% prioritize improving on-farm resilience.

Interest is high for practices such as improved nitrogen management, no-till/reduced tillage, cover cropping, wildlife habitat conservation, and rotational grazing.

FCS is a national farmer and rancher-led coalition advancing practical solutions that support producers in making the transition to high resilience, low emissions approaches to agriculture.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?