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The industry association Fertilizer Canada commissioned a report from accounting firm MNP that says these fertilizer reductions will lead to a $48 billion loss in farm incomes over the eight years leading to 2030.
The association says that: “Because Canadian farmers are already among the most sustainable growers in the world, they have less room to lower fertilizer emissions without compromising their food production than those in other countries.”
What they prefer over firm regulations is for the industry to go “all-in” on what’s called 4R Nutrient Stewardship — a technical method that ensures only the minimum amount of appropriate fertilizer is used.
Industry experts point to how Canada is already a leader in such farming techniques.
“Canada is situated probably at the top of sustainable production,” says Michael Keegan, an agri-food consultant who has served as chief of staff to agriculture ministers in the previous Ontario Liberal government, in an interview with the Sun. “In fact there’s kind of a growing movement in Canada to elevate Canadian production and production know-how so that the more people around the world eat Canadian product and grow like Canadian producers do, the better off we’ll all be.”
Keegan says a big challenge is the disconnect between the federal government and farmers, who currently view each other with distrust and aren’t really speaking the same language.
This becomes all too clear when farmers complain that they haven’t been consulted about the fertilizer regulations, which Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit describes as an “arbitrary goal.” And while the feds just launched what they’re describing as additional consultations on the regulations, it’s pretty clear this is mostly a PR exercise and they’re not going to back down on their targets. (Although an extension of the timeline beyond 2030 is considered one possible olive branch.)
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https://torontosun.com/opinion/colum...-across-canada
Also from the article.
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The government’s discussion paper notes that synthetic fertilizers accounted for 12.75 Mt of emissions in 2019 — less than 2% of our national total. Why invite increased food prices, farm closures and more convoy protests over such an inconsequential figure?
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From what I understand, these emissions could be easily offset with proper rehabilitation of wetlands, marshes, lakes & rivers that deal with run off and such. Not sure why it isn't presented as a viable option.
Perhaps Trudeau could also quit flying all over the place for PR spectacles.