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GOC highlights investments in sustainable ag practices and clean tech in Quebec

On April 1, several federal ministers highlighted proposed investments by the Government of Canada to help Quebec farmers build climate change resilience and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, noted the federal partnership with three organizations for the delivery of funding under the On-Farm Climate Action Fund to farmers in Quebec.

• L’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), in collaboration with Producteurs de grains du Québec: up to $19 million to support Quebec farmers to adopt beneficial management practices for cover cropping and nitrogen management.
• Canadian Forage and Grassland Association: up to $10 million to support Quebec farmers as well as farmers across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to plan and implement rotational grazing practices.
• ECOCERT Canada: up to $4.5 million to help certified organic farmers in Quebec and across Canada to adopt beneficial management practices for cover cropping and nitrogen management.

These administrators will distribute the funding following a call for individual applications. Activities supported through the Fund are expected to reduce GHG emissions by up to 2 million tonnes by 2024, while improving the health and resiliency of farmers’ soil.

In addition, the GOC will invest $1.9 million to support nine projects across Quebec under the first phase of the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program. This initiative encourages the development and adoption of clean technologies and helps farmers boost their long-term competitiveness. This funding is focused on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and the bio-economy.

As part of the Emissions Reduction Plan launched earlier this week, the GOC has committed over $1 billion in new funding to accelerate the agriculture sector’s progress on reducing emissions and remaining a global leader in sustainable agriculture.

These new measures aim to reverse the sector’s emissions since 2005 and reduce net emissions in the future. These efforts should represent a reduction of up to 13 megatonnes (Mt), which is a decrease from 72 Mt in 2005.