Senator Paula Simon couldn’t hold back a laugh at the degraded underwear she and Senator Rob Black, background, had just dug up from land at the University of Guelph’s Soil Health Interpretive Centre in Elora.

Senators dig into soil at the grassroots level

Agriculture and Forestry Senate Committee goes on fact-finding mission

Senators soiled their undies for science and dug into soil research at the Soil Health Interpretive Centre in Elora on April 25. “We’re seeing important work that happens on the ground, yesterday at the farm level and here at the university academic level,” said Senator Rob Black, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and […] Read more

Corn seedlings in southern Ontario in 2021.

Net-zero farming requires wide social buy-in

A systemic re-think of farming is needed to reach net zero emissions by 2050, but impetus and support must come from inside and outside the sector

Glacier FarmMedia – A “durable” net zero farming system may be unattainable without a broad re-think of the sector, and that will require broad social buy-in, says an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher. “This is a much bigger question than simply developing practices and encouraging adoption,” says Henry Janzen. “This involves the rest of us.” […] Read more

The senior vice-president of the Royal Bank says Canada should commit to producing 25 per cent more food in this decade with fewer emissions.

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

AGCO executives say by providing farmers with retrofit precision technologies, the company can help them meet future climate change regulations.

Precision ag technologies can help meet climate targets

AGCO focuses on making precision tech available for the retrofit market

Glacier FarmMedia – While Canada has set an ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from synthetic fertilizer by 30 per cent, it’s much lower than the mandated 55 per cent reduction European farmers are facing. “The government is focused on meeting this emissions reduction target through a range of policy measures and approaches, […] Read more

There is an ever-growing demand for more food production, but many of the methods and tools needed to meet this demand can have negative consequences for the climate.

Editorial: Shaping a new green revolution

The term ‘green revolution’ was first coined in 1968 by William S. Gaud, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to reflect the technology transfer initiatives that led to increased crop yields and production after the Second World War. By the late 1960s, farmers in developed countries had adopted and incorporated high-yielding varieties of […] Read more


“When we think about disease management, pest management, integrated pest management, we’re monitoring and assessing all season long. Why aren’t we doing that with nitrogen?” – Deb Campbell.

Lowering emissions without sacrificing profits

Nitrogen strategies that meet grower and government needs

Nitrogen fertilizer is a cornerstone of crop production. It’s also become a hot political topic, with market volatility, emission reduction demands, geopolitics and a slew of other factors keeping it in the headlines. While nitrogen prices remain high, there are strategies growers can employ to reduce nitrogen use without sacrificing profits or yields. Several researchers […] Read more

The Sustainable Agriculture Strategy will look at soil health as well as climate adaptation and resilience, water, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity.

Canada moves to develop sustainable agriculture strategy

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture will co-chair the committee

Glacier FarmMedia – Work has begun on a national strategy to position Canadian agriculture as a world leader in sustainability. Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Dec. 12 the launch of online consultations and an advisory committee to develop the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy. This was formerly referred to as the Green Agricultural Plan. The Canadian […] Read more

Morley Wallace looks down the DAWN Pluribus Gen V Fertile Stripping planter and fertilizer GPS Ontario has been using for the IFS trials.

Fertile strips could reduce nitrous oxide emissions

Ontario company hopes to expand trials for fertilizer placement/strip till technology

Placing fertilizer where it can be best used by crops can reduce nitrous oxide emissions, says an Ontario company that is researching emissions related to its Innovative Fertile Strip system. GPS Ontario is the contracted crop provider for Invest Ottawa’s AreaX.O, the former Ottawa research station now known as the Ottawa Smart Farm. It has […] Read more


Although dairy has an established stronghold in Canadian retail settings and in popular culture due to successful marketing campaigns, consumers are asking for diversity and sustainability benefits.

Dairy sustainability lead has high hopes for 2050 emission goals

New DFC recruit previously worked with Canadian Cattle Association

Fawn Jackson recalls a message she heard from forestry and fishery stakeholders when she moved into her previous role as executive director of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.  “Get ahead of it, or else you’ll end up struggling to catch up from behind.” Why it matters: On-farm practices developed to meet DFC’s goals may […] Read more

Improving soil health, which includes the use of cover crops, can also translate into increased competitiveness and profitability opportunities via carbon offset financial rewards and preferred supplier status, says a new report.

Farmers at the forefront of reducing GHG emissions

Sequestering carbon the best way to reduce emissions, according to new report

Adjustments to agriculture practices can play a significant role in attaining Canada’s lower carbon emissions commitment, according to a recently released report from Value Change Management International (VCMI).  The report, entitled Low Carbon Food Production, suggests commercial benefits and opportunities are possible if businesses are willing to adapt to and profit from environmental initiatives. “Because […] Read more