Researchers at the University of Guelph are studying how best management practices on farms affect soil microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions. Kari Dunfield, professor and Canada Research Chair in the School of Environmental Sciences, postdoctoral researchers Dasiel Obregon and Tolulope Mafa-Attoye and other collaborators recently published studies on whether riparian buffer systems produce greenhouse […] Read more
Tag Archives Environment — page 7
Researchers examine role of soil microbes in GHG emissions
Guelph study compares coniferous, deciduous and grass riparian buffer zones
Opinion: Reaching ‘net zero’ will be a challenge for agriculture
Glacier FarmMedia – As keynote presentations go, the kick-off speaker’s at a conference on the sustainability of Canadian agriculture March 7 was a bit of a downer — at least initially. Henry Janzen, a career Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist with who now serves as an honorary research associate with the department’s Lethbridge research team, […] Read more
United response needed to supply management threats
Outgoing Gay Lea CEO says there will continue to be opportunities for Canadian dairy
Recently retired Gay Lea Foods Cooperative CEO Michael Barrett believes opportunities will open up for the Canadian dairy sector as farmers in other parts of the world feel pressure from governments to limit their environmental impact. Dairy supplies into the global marketplace from New Zealand and the European Union are going to be limited due […] Read more
Another way to look at environmental metrics
Protein density and ecosystem impacts make meat competitive with grains, say researchers
When attempting to get an accurate gauge of global food security and protein sufficiency, metrics matter. The food sufficiency metric must reflect what each type of food production supplies, including environmental benefits, social structures or sustainability credentials, said Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech’s ruminant research director. Why it matters: Accurate analysis of livestock’s impact on global […] Read more
Canada encouraged to aim for an agricultural moon shot
Royal Bank’s senior VP says agriculture industry should be a priority for all governments as he urges them to be ‘export obsessed’
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada requires the national ambition to move agriculture ahead faster and in a climate-smart way, said Royal Bank senior vice-president John Stackhouse. Speaking to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual meeting last month, Stackhouse said the country’s agriculture sector is being asked to do more to feed and fuel the world but […] Read more
Canadian dairy carbon-neutral guidebook released
Kitchen table meetings may be the next step for the introduction of the guide to farmers
There are no financial incentives and the adoption of practices isn’t mandatory to continue shipping milk, but Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) insists there are strong reasons why the country’s milk producers should get on board with a just-published Best Management Practices Guide to Mitigate Emissions on Dairy Farms. The new document forms the cornerstone […] Read more
New Lactanet breeding index tackles methane emissions
World-first approach uses mid-infrared milk data to estimate individual cow emissions
Aworld-leading approach to creating a methane-specific breeding index has been developed by Lactanet and will launch next month. Not content to wait until “sniffer” technology for measuring bovine methane emissions eventually becomes more affordable, the Canadian dairy data collection and genetics analysis organization developed the index based on milk samples. Ahead of the index’s official […] Read more
Lynn Leavitt named BFO’s Environmental Stewardship Award winner
The Prince Edward County beef farmer has the wrap on recycling agricultural plastic
Lynn Leavitt has the squeeze on bale wrap and twine disposal with his U-Pak AgriService compaction process to recycle farm plastic. His determination to find an environmentally friendly solution to dispose of used bale wrap, silage bags and twine sparked the development of an innovative Pac-It compactor system to bale large quantities of clean, dry […] Read more
Trudeau assures farmers fertilizer emissions target is voluntary
All leaders of major parties addressed farmers at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual meeting for the first time in memory
Glacier FarmMedia – Prime minister Justin Trudeau reiterated at the recent Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) annual meeting that the fertilizer emissions reduction target proposed by his government is voluntary. Speaking to farmers gathered at the annual meeting March 6 — a surprise late addition to the agenda — the prime minister praised farmers for […] Read more
Senators want early no-till adopters recognized
Federal officials questioned why early adopters won’t benefit from incentive programs
Glacier FarmMedia – Senators on the agriculture committee studying soil health questioned departmental officials last month on how and why they left early adopters of no-till out of incentive programs. Quebec senator Chantal Petitclerc said the early adopters started storing carbon without the benefit of grants, programs and subsidies that are now available from the […] Read more
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