Christopher Bonasia
The Advocate

While emissions from Canada’s agriculture sector showed a slight decline last year, farmers need more support and a strategy that centres viability and economics in order to make further gains.

“Canadian farmers are doing a lot of great work on sustainability,” said Geneviève Grossenbacher, director of policy at Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS).

But efforts to support farmers need to be greater, and need to prioritize severe weather events, too — “especially when we know the economy is becoming even more unstable, making sure that at least we’re more stable in terms of production will be really key.”

Canada’s food production has been a prominent part of the federal government’s climate goals. While emissions within the sector had continued steadily rising in past years, a preliminary report from the federal government released in mid-December indicates that in 2023 — the most recent year available for that data — emissions fell for the first time, dropping to 55 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from 56 the year before.

Climate targets being met

The RBC Climate Action Institute’s 2025 report, A Year for Rewiring, also showed Canadian farmers moving towards meeting climate targets because of “steady progress from diesel-use efficiency and fertilizer management plans on farms.” Policy action — especially from the federal government — also helped as a “catalyst for capital investments and on-farm action.”

Some of that progress was spurred by a capital boost from private investments and from federal programs, including the On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) that was recently extended for another three years. Farmers can use the OFCAF to fund adoption of beneficial management practices like cover cropping, rotational grazing and improved nitrogen management. Though it is funded by the federal government, it is administered through 13 farm organizations across the country, including ECOCERT Canada, Canadian Grasslands Association, and L’Union des producteurs agricoles.

Quebec farmers on board

Grossenbacher says the farmers and ranchers who FCS works with generally like OFCAF. An analysis of Quebec farmers’ perceptions on climate change, based on a national poll, showed that many Quebec farmers are already adopting those practices, and they see climate change as a top challenge facing the sector. But the second-ranked challenge was farm viability, which contrasts with national responses that listed input costs as second.

“We definitely see that the link to sustainability — for us and for most farmers — is increasingly an economic priority,” said Grossenbacher. “And that comes out even more strongly for the Quebec farmers.”

Economics need to be part of picture

RBC also credited policy action from the federal government as a key driver. But the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy that was being developed in partnership with the industry is now on hold. In December, several key organizations withdrew out of frustration that economic sustainability was not being emphasized enough.

FCS was not among the organizations that withdrew. Grossenbacher said she shared those concerns but FCS had been hopeful a consensus could be reached. She added that building climate resilience is an important part of safeguarding Canada’s food security and economic viability long term as losses from weather become worse.

“The economic lens of sustainability is absolutely essential, and we still feel there’s a lot of things in the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy that can be done to address that,” said Grossenbacher.

“But definitely we need to clarify what the government’s role will be to support to make sure that farmers are not left hanging and holding the burden of (climate change) by themselves.”