Agriculture and Agri-innovation’s Role in Achieving Net Zero

There’s no doubt that climate change is one of the most urgent threats facing Canadian producers, but in communities right across the country, farmers are working to make their operations more competitive and sustainable. They’re adopting cleaner practices and technologies so they can to keep their land healthy, productive, and resilient. As a government, we’re making historic investments so we can continue to be a reliable supplier and leading exporter of world-class products. Since 2021, we’ve invested $1.5 billion in a variety of programs and activities, like our Agricultural Clean Technology Program, Living Labs and our On-Farm Climate Action Program, aimed at helping producers reduce their on-farm emissions and grow their operations.

Work is also underway to develop our Sustainable Agriculture Strategy. We have been working with key agriculture stakeholders from right across the sector, including producers, industry groups, environmental organizations, provincial and territorial governments, and Indigenous partners on this important work, and their insights have been essential to shaping this Strategy so that it addresses the sector’s most pressing challenges, but also their priorities. By tapping into their knowledge and leveraging best practices, the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy can help us chart a path forward to make the sector more resilient, drive economic growth, and support farmers’ livelihoods in the face of significant climate-related challenges like wildfires, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events.

This is in addition to our $3.5-billion Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership agreement with the provinces and territories to deliver cost-shared programs that will strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture and agri‐food sector.

Farmers are natural innovators and want to be using the latest technologies to modernize their operations and reduce their emissions, but cost can be barrier. To help producers make the switch, we launched the Agricultural Clean Technology program. This program is helping farmers adopt green technologies, like efficient grain dryers and tools for precision agriculture. Earlier this year, I visited a dairy farm that received funding through program to convert part of their operation to solar power. Now, they’re helping to protect the environment and saving money on their energy bill. That’s a win-win.

Right across the country, farmers and food processors are using new tools and strategies to feed the world, protect the planet, and stay ahead of the competition. Canadian farmers and processors have been leaders in high-tech sustainable agriculture. They’re using drones and GPS systems to boost crop yields, and adopting renewable energy sources like bio-gas and solar panels.

Six years ago, I attended the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Argentina where we discussed a new concept for innovation in agriculture: Living Labs. The goal of Living Labs is to bring farmers, scientists, and other partners together in the field, working side-by-side to drive the sector forward. Over the past few years, we’ve built a network of 14 Living Labs right across Canada, with each one focused on identifying innovative technologies and on-farm management practices that can be adopted by farmers to tackle climate change. They’re also focused on helping to protect biodiversity on farms, improve water and soil quality, and by helping farmers manage their resources, it’s helping them strengthen their bottom lines, too.

So many communities in our country have a proud history in agriculture, and the sector employs over 2.3 million people, representing about 1 in 9 jobs. We’re the world’s 5th largest exporter of agri-food, and our exports reached nearly $100 billion last year. The demand for our top-quality products continues to grow, and my goal as Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is to build on our strong history and global reputation, so that our producers and processors continue to succeed for generations to come. Part of what will keep the sector strong is taking action to protect the environment. Not doing so will hurt farmers and our exports. When I sit down with our buyers around the world, they want to know that we have the highest standards for sustainability when it comes to producing our products. Farmers are doing what they can to make their operations more sustainable, and our government will continue to do everything we can to support them.