WHEREAS In December 2020, the Government of Canada set a national fertilizer emissions reduction target of 30% by 2030; and
WHEREAS fertilizer is a critical input for crop production, and reducing fertilizer use will impact yields and future yield gains across the country; and
WHEREAS according to a report published by Fertilizer Canada, a 30% rate reduction model is estimated to result in a loss of $10.4 billion in canola, corn, and spring wheat crop production by 2030; and
WHEREAS significant production loss will have detrimental effects on Canada’s ability to fill domestic processing and export capacities which will affect the overall Canadian Agri-food economy; and
WHEREAS the success of the Canadian agriculture sector depends heavily on the ability to export; and, in 2021, Canada exported approximately $82.2 billion in agriculture and food products; and
WHEREAS Canada is the fifth-largest exporter of Agri-food in the world, exporting to over 200 countries; and
WHEREAS a significant reduction in crop production will have an adverse effect on the global supply of food; and
WHEREAS emission reduction targets should be based on emissions per unit of crop produced to maintain growing agricultural exports, as focusing on absolute emissions from the sector will have severe consequences to the competitiveness of agricultural operators and the fertilizer industry; and
WHEREAS Canadian farmers have been and are currently implementing sustainable practices to mitigate fertilizer emissions; and
WHEREAS through collaboration with specialists/agronomists, crop outputs are maximized using the smallest amount of input, new equipment and technology are invested in to mitigate product waste and scheduling crop rotations appropriately, and biodiversity is utilized to promote soil health and produce livestock feed; and
WHEREAS the implementation of Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship has the ability to balance farmer, industry and government goals to improve on-farm economics, crop productivity and fertilizer efficiency, while benefiting the environment by focusing on the 4R principles – “Right Source, Right Time, Right Rate and Right Place;” and
WHEREAS the Government of Canada has indicated that it will collaborate with fertilizer manufacturers, agricultural operators, and provinces/territories to develop an approach that will meet the 30% reduction target, and to date, there has been no announced approached and no known viable alternatives to synthetic fertilizers;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta request that the Government of Canada either cancel the 30% fertilizer emissions reduction target or ensure that said target remains voluntary.
In December 2020, the Government of Canada released a plan to reduce emissions from fertilizer by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030, stating that Canadian agriculture, specifically synthetic fertilizer use, is responsible for approximately 10% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The MD of Taber is concerned with how this data was collected, measured, and accounted for. Without obtaining data at an individual farm level, it is unlikely that the measurement of emissions related to the use of fertilizer is accurate. Furthermore, there has been no clear indication of how the 30% reduction rate was calculated and the information that it was based on. There is a direct need for accurate benchmark data, fertilizer-use data, and emissions data before creating a realistic reduction target.
Reducing fertilizer use will result in significant production loss which will directly contribute to a decrease in financial gains, global food supply availability and Canada’s domestic processing/exporting capacities. This target has the potential to negatively impact agricultural operators within rural communities throughout the Country.
The Municipal District of Taber is concerned that the Government of Canada has failed to consider the current practices that Canadian Farmers are (and have been) using to reduce fertilizer use, nor are these practices being accounted for in the current reduction target calculations and considerations.
Supporting Documentation
https://fertilizercanada.ca/our-focus/stewardship/emissions-reduction-initiative/
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.
RMA continues to request a response from the Government of Canada regarding this resolution. Although there has been no formal response to RMA from the Government of Canada, a “What We Heard” report on fertilizer emissions reduction target, which outlines the next steps on collaboration within the sector. This feedback will assist in meeting Canada’s fertilizer emissions reduction target from 30% of 2020 levels by 2030. RMA will continue to advocate for the Government of Canada to cancel the 30% emissions reduction target.
As the Government of Canada continues to push for a 30% fertilizer emissions reduction target and has not given a formal response to RMA, RMA assigns this a status of Intent Not Met.
RMA continues to request a response from the Government of Canada regarding this resolution. Although there has been no formal response to RMA from the Government of Canada, a “What We Heard” report on fertilizer emissions reduction target, which outlines the next steps on collaboration within the sector. This feedback will assist in meeting Canada’s fertilizer emissions reduction target from 30% of 2020 levels by 2030. RMA will continue to advocate for the Government of Canada to cancel the 30% emissions reduction target. RMA is concerned that the target will not only harm individual agriculture producers, but will lead to unintended consequences by reducing the productivity of existing agricultural land. An April 2023 report from the federal Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food came to a similar conclusion and recommended that “the Government of Canada
While the fertilizer emissions reduction target remains voluntary, RMA is not aware of any formal response to the Standing Committee’s recommendations by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. RMA assigns this a status of Intent Not Met.