Ottawa-A sustainability program for Canadian agriculture must consider the wide variety of farms across the country and the varied environment and weather they face, says a report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI).

Addressing the sector’s complex challenges is key to developing strategies that are both realistic and grounded in the operational realities faced by farmers and do not focus mainly on carbon emissions, the report said. Achieving net-zero emissions will require thorough and equitable programs that are aligned with broader Canadian agricultural policy objectives.

“It is important to expand net-zero discussions to encompass the full spectrum of agricultural complexities, including economic, biological, and location-specific challenges, to ensure a comprehensive approach.”

Current on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emission measurement tools often rely on generalized models that lack accuracy and regional specificity, the report said. “It is recommended to develop and implement GHG measurements tools that are fit-for-purpose, accurately reflecting the specific conditions and needs of Canadian farmers.”

Also improving GHG intensity data collection and analysis for post-farm gate operations and developing consistent standards for measurement is crucial to support effective monitoring and strategy development for reducing emissions throughout the food value chain.

Many net-zero strategies do not align well with the economic pressures and practical realities that farmers face daily making it crucial to align those strategies with the actual operational and economic realities to help promote sustainable practices and long-term sustainability outcomes and economic viability.

“Agricultural policies often struggle to adapt to the variable and dynamic conditions that characterize the farming sector. Implementing adaptive management strategies within policy frameworks is needed to better accommodate changing agricultural conditions and integrate new data and information on outcomes, enhancing both the long-term relevance and impact of net-zero strategies.”

CAPI recommended that government policies should holistically integrate the full spectrum of agricultural complexities into net-zero strategies while bringing adaptive responses to the evolving scientific and technological landscape of agriculture to facilitate practical and sustainable adoption by farmers.

Regional-specific strategies are needed because “no single net-zero strategy is universally applicable across the country due to varying climatic conditions, soil types and agricultural practices prevalent in different regions.”

Broader adoption of GHG estimation tools tailored to the diverse needs of Canadian farmers are needed to ensure that the tools are practical and widely accessible. Also there must be increased efforts to clearly communicate the economic and environmental benefits of using GHG tools, such as potential access to carbon markets, which could enhance their appeal and utility for farmers.

GHG tools that are specifically adapted to the various types of farming operations in Canada need to be developed and encouraged to provide effective support for farmers’ sustainability efforts, CAPI said.

A sustainability program must strengthen support for educational initiatives and the adoption of GHG tools through policies that integrate these tools into eligibility criteria for government funding programs.

Also required are standardized Lifecycle Assessment Analysis guidelines that align with global standards to ensure consistency and comparability in GHG measurement across the sector along with Product Category Rules to facilitate easier and more consistent construction of environmental product declarations, enhancing the comparability of lifecycle assessments across commodities.

Enhanced guidance on accounting for GHG emissions related to transport activities within the agrifood sector to improve lifecycle assessments is also required.

Building on earlier work by CAPI and the Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking, the report and emphasizes the need for a broader understanding of net-zero, moving beyond the narrow focus on carbon emissions to consider the full spectrum of agricultural complexities. These include the economic, biological and logistical challenges unique to the sector, which often go underdiscussed in mainstream net-zero strategies.

The current net zero dialogue must evolve toward a more comprehensive approach that recognizes the diverse realities of agriculture.

This news item prepared for National Newswatch