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Cap and trade – RealAgriculture

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David MacNaughton, who served as Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S from 2016 to 2019, says that while the Canada-U.S. leadership relationship is much improved under President Joe Biden, Canada still needs to proceed with caution. Yes, President Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have kicked off their relationship with friendly words of warmth and a... Read More
As the federal government rolled out the carbon tax April 1, farmers and rural Canadians were understandably irritated. Among the feedback we received was a question that struck me — why don’t farmers get paid to store carbon in the soil? I was a little surprised, because, in at least one province, they do. Alberta... Read More
There are many challenges that have the potential to dash the business plans and hopes of farmers —from trade agreements, to climate change, and primary risks. Strong government policy is part of the solution. Helping shape effective policy will be one of Dr. Alan Ker’s goals as he assumes the newly-created Research Chair in Agriculture... Read More
It’s difficult to know where to start when you talk with Rob Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). Bonnett always has a full plate, and the closing weeks of November are no different as his organization tends a hot stove stoked with issues ranging from trade to climate change and a coming... Read More
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture held its annual general meeting recently at Ottawa, where farmers from across the country brought forward no fewer than 45 resolutions. From lobbying efforts surrounding the carbon economy and recognizing farmers’ good work on carbon sequestration, to sorting out the current railway backlog, and on to holding firm on supply... Read More
Farmers, researchers and government policy people are in Saskatoon today for the Prairie Agriculture Carbon Summit, hosted by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. As APAS president Todd Lewis explains in the interview below, the intent of the conference is to drive a conversation about the role farm practices have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions... Read More
Canada’s freight railways say they anticipate paying over a billion dollars per year by 2022 under carbon pricing policies proposed and planned by the federal and provincial governments. “It’s difficult to get a precise figure, but we’ve tried to run some estimates based on the existing pricing structures and fiscal instruments, as well as the... Read More
With government funding programs comes last minute changes and updates, but never fear, RealAgriculture and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association regional program lead, Margaret May, have joined forces to bring you the latest updates to GF2 programming (That’s Growing Forward 2, for all of you who have been hiding under a rock). Of particular... Read More
How easily could your farm business absorb an added $120,000 bill? That’s approximately what Jan Vanderhout, co-owner of Beverly Greenhouses, says the new Ontario carbon tax will cost him this year, or just over $6,000 per acre of greenhouse space. Vanderhout, a third-generation greenhouse grower and the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’... Read More
With federal and provincial governments rolling out carbon taxes or cap and trade programs, organizations representing farmers have been forced to choose a strategy they believe will result in the best outcome for their members. Some, such as the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, are digging in their heels and fighting any carbon tax head-on, similar to... Read More
If farmers are going to pay a tax on carbon emissions, they should also receive credit for the carbon their farms remove from the atmosphere. Many in the farm community are trying to make that case, as the federal and provincial governments roll out pricing systems that appear to lean on the cost side of the... Read More
Glen Murray is not the favourite son of Ontario’s farming industry. The Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) has made few friends in the Ontario farm sector with his push to restrict use of neonicotinoid seed treatments, dismiss sound science, and impose the will of his urban-dominated government on the province’s farmers. That’s the... Read More
To quote Monty Python: Always look on the bright side of life. And so that’s how we’ll begin a discussion on Ontario’s Environment Commissioner‘s latest report entitled, Putting Soil Health First. There’s some great stuff in there: recognizing that our agricultural soils’ health is paramount to long-term soil productivity, that living roots and residue cover... Read More
Keith Currie, who farms at Collingwood, Ont., is currently one of two vice presidents of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Early next week, he’ll stand in front of the membership and ask them to vote him in as the new president, following two years of leadership under Don McCabe. It’s a critical time for policy... Read More
The Manitoba government is planning to implement a carbon pricing system with the goal of reducing emissions, but what it will look like has yet to be determined. Unlike her colleague from next-door Saskatchewan, Manitoba’s minister of sustainable development did not walk out of the federal/provincial/territorial environment ministers meeting in protest last week when Prime Minister Justin... Read More
Farmers and farm groups are voicing concerns about the impact the carbon tax announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will have on farming and food production in Canada. Trudeau said the government will require provinces meet a minimum federal price on carbon of $10 per tonne in 2018, rising to $50 per tonne in 2022. The... Read More
Ontario’s cap and trade program is expected to raise about $1.9 billion annually. The Liberal government says it will spend the proceeds on initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions – everything from investments in public transit and clean technology to making homes and businesses more energy efficient. Program details are still scant, but many rural... Read More



