Canada should be a global leader in setting performance standards in agriculture for environmental sustainability, according to a report done for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and industry stakeholders.
Environmental sustainability of the food supply is becoming an increasing concern with a canvas of food organizations, food companies and governments revealing performance goals are being set, says author Dave McInnes.
Delivery of the goals means everybody from food manufacturers, supply chains to producers and government needs to get involved.
Three main target themes in goals set are sustainable sourcing, 44 per cent; greenhouse gas emissions and land use, each 16 per cent.
Among farm organizations, the Canola Council of Canada has a target of increasing canola production by 26 million tonnes by 2025 and reducing fuel use by 18 per cent.
The plan includes safeguarding over 2,000 beneficial insects.
The Canadian Canola Growers Association wants to decrease the amount of land to grow one tonne of canola by 40 per cent.
Ninety-nine per cent of dairy farmers in Canada are registered in a program that in five years has reduced the industry's carbon footprint seven per cent and cut water consumption six per cent.
The Egg Farmers of Alberta plan to develop barns with no greenhouse gas emissions.
The Canadian Round Table on Sustainable Beef has completed or addressed 86 per cent of items set out as goals in 2020.
The Canadian Round Table for Sustainable Crops has developed carbon footprint goals for 10 major grain crops.
Fertilizer Canada has validated 15 million acres under the 4R program — Right source, Right time, Right rate and Right place — with a 30 million acre target by 2025.
Virtually all input corporations and retailers from Bayer, Coca-Cola to Walmart have environmental sustainability programs with goals.
Saskatchewan plans to have 25 per cent of the crop (over 10 million acres) in the 4R fertilizer plan by 2025.
McInnes’s agri-food sustainability report suggests a more consolidated approach, rather than by individual groups, to defend our ag sustainability on the global stage.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
