Saskatchewan farmers, Conservative MPs decry fertilizer emissions proposal | Global News - Connor O’Donovan:
August 5, 2022 - "Saskatchewan agricultural stakeholders joined several Conservative MPs to discuss Ottawa’s proposal to reduce fertilizer emissions Thursday, telling reporters the policy is destined to reduce farm yields, threaten farm sustainability and hurt consumers in the process. 'It’s going to have a devastating impact to Canadian farm families and their ability to produce food. There will be a massive reduction in yield,' said Foothills MP John Barlow....
"'That will make farming economically unsustainable in Canada. That is going to increase food costs as a result of lower yield,' Barlow said. 'Farmers across Canada have done everything they can to be as efficient and environmentally sustainable as possible. But reducing fertilizer use will force them to go back to tilling, using other chemicals and do more passes on their land which increases emissions.'
"The fertilizer emissions proposal is part of Canada’s larger plan to curb human-caused carbon emissions 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated to keep global warming below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, net human caused emissions of CO2 will need to fall 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero around 2050 around the globe.
"Noting nitrous oxide has a 'global warming potential' 265 to 298 times greater than carbon dioxide, the federal government has stated goals of reducing emissions from synthetic fertilizers by approximately 4Mt of CO2e by the end of the decade — equal to approximately half a per cent of Canada’s overall CO2 emissions according to government figures.
"Canadian Federation of Agriculture second vice-president Todd Lewis said while more communication is needed about exactly how the government wants farmers to measure and implement its strategy, the idea of having to reduce fertilizer use is concerning. He said reducing fertilizer while getting the same yield is 'a great goal' but was skeptical it could be achieved within the proposed timeline.... He agreed that Saskatchewan farms could suffer as a result of the plan.... 'When you hear straight out fertilizer reductions, that starts to hurt yields and if it hurts yields it’s gonna hurt our bottom line and make it more difficult to be sustainable in our industry'....
"Representatives from groups like SaskCanola, SaskWheat, SaskBarley, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture were joined by Barlow as well as Regina-Lewvan MP Warren Steinley and Regina-Qu’Appelle [MP and former Opposition Leader] Andrew Scheer] at the meeting."
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9038295/sask-farmers-conservative-mps-fertilizer-emissions-proposal/
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