Statement on the Feast or Famine report

OTTAWA, December 11, 2018 – Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) President Ron Bonnett made the following statement in reaction to the release of the Feast or Famine report on the impacts of climate change and carbon pricing, released on December 11th by the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

“The Canadian Federation of Agriculture was extremely pleased to see the recommendations put forth by the Feast or Famine report, many of which are reflected in CFA’s asks during consultation sessions for the report, as well as CFA’s Climate Change policy.

It’s promising to see the messaging behind the report. Instead of focusing entirely on the carbon tax and its potential ramifications, it looks forward to solutions and investments that work toward an actual reduction in carbon emissions. Climate change is not an issue that should be politicized. It is real, it is happening right now, and it will effect generations to come.

The report recognized the innovations that farmers are currently making, and have been making for years, to offset their carbon footprint, sequester carbon and increase the efficiencies in their operations. Investing in further research and implementation of technologies can take Canada a step further in the fight against climate change. Methane digesters could turn the emissions from animal waste into power instead of releasing them into the atmosphere. Research into more efficient feed technologies can cut down on inputs while simultaneously reducing methane emissions from farm animals. There is huge room to turn Canadian agriculture and rural Canada into a carbon sink.

This report, if its recommendations are taken on by the Federal government, will help producers to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, while also taking into account producers’ competitiveness in the global marketplace.”