The Grey County Federation of Agriculture says farmers are already working to do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, following recent reports the federal government wants to move ahead with an aggressive plan to cut emissions from fertilizer use.
The federal government said last week that the goal was to reduce nitrous oxide emissions caused by fertilizer by 30 per cent by 2030.
For many in agriculture, this translates to simply reducing fertilizer use, which would cause lower crop yields.
Grey County Federation of Agriculture President Dianne Booker clarifies efforts have been made to reduce emissions.
“It’s not the fertilizer they’re mandating, it’s the emissions… We’ve already been working on improving nutrient management and emission reduction over the years,” Booker says.
She says that they’re using the 4R Stewardship approach, which is to apply the right nutrient in the right place, at the right time, and at the right rate.
After the federal-provincial-territorial meeting in Saskatoon, the topic of reducing fertilizer emissions was under discussion by all of the agriculture ministers, including Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, who is also the provincial minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
In a release, Thompson was quoted as saying, “As our farmers work to feed Canada and the world, we need to work with them and support their ongoing efforts to grow and produce the food we need. The federal government needs to be true to partners, rather than simply imposing targets that make it harder.”
Nitrous oxide emissions aren’t only from agriculture, but also from other sources, such as industry, vehicle emissions, and wastewater management.
Booker says that instead of going after farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, perhaps the government should demand that other polluters make bigger efforts as well, saying “It’s not just agriculture.”
She also says that in order to reduce fertilizer emissions, the best practice may be to also diversify sources.
This means instead of using synthetic fertilizers, using either manure or compost.
Bruce County Council also approved a motion to request the federal government pause its deadline for the target, in order to encourage the agri-food industry to work together with farmers to find emission reduction solutions through research and innovation and the adoption of best practices.