Notes for an Address by the Honourable David Anderson, P.C., M.P. Minister of the Environment on the Occasion of the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture Halifax, Nova Scotia March 1, 2002

Speech delivered by the Hon. David Anderson P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment

Introduction

Thank you for those welcoming remarks.

I am very pleased to take part in the Canadian Federation of Agriculture's annual meeting this year. I know that environmental issues are important to the farming community in many ways.

• There are now fundamental rules that guide how farmers operate.
• They influence consumer preferences and relations with non-farming neighbours.
• But most of all, environmental issues are about taking care of the land that is your home, in ways that enable you to earn a living.

Our government recognizes these realities in many ways in our environmental policies and activities. We recognize that for Canada to have the kind of real long-term thinking that will get and sustain results on environmental issues, we've got to include the people whose choices have the most significant impacts. We've got to support them in making effective environmental choices. And we know that our farmers are among the most important of our partners.

Right now, Canada has two important environmental issues in front of it where that commitment to work with people for a healthier environment is being put to the test.

First, I want to comment on the federal government's proposed legislation to protect species at risk - and why our approach makes sense for farmers.

Second, I want to comment on our commitments to action on climate change - what they mean to farmers now and what they will mean in the future.

But I want to link those and the many other efforts taking place together through the growing evidence of environmental action in Canada's farm community.

Species at Risk

So let me begin with our species at risk legislation. The House of Commons is currently reviewing Bill C-5, the Species at Risk Act.

It is effective legislation that will help prevent wildlife in Canada from becoming extinct. It will also provide for recovery of species that are at risk of becoming extinct - a list that already includes 233 species. This is legislation that will achieve results where it counts the most, on the land, in our streams, in the oceans, on the prairies, in the forests and in the air above.

This Species at Risk Act is the result of a policy process that has unfolded for more than eight years. During that time, we consulted extensively. We listened to Canadians in all walks of life and in all parts of the country. We heard from farmers, land owners, fishermen, aboriginal peoples, business leaders, scientists, ranchers and thousands of other interested Canadians.

We listened to an extremely wide range of views on how best to protect species that face serious threats to their continued existence in Canada. And we made choices on the basis of what we heard and the experience of other jurisdictions.

Probably the most important of those choices was to put cooperation and stewardship first. We want to defend species at risk by encouraging land owners to undertake the voluntary conservation measures that protect habitat and that nurture biodiversity.

By doing that, we will get results - with partners across Canada. We will meet the commitments that we made with the provinces and territories through the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk.

Once the bill is in place, we will be able to move forward on important and complex issues - such as compensation for restrictions on the use of land. I raise that issue specifically because I know that it is a major one for many landowners in rural Canada. People have asked how we will deal with the implications of recovery efforts for species on people whose lands might be affected by those efforts.

There will be two stages on this.

First, we will work with landowners through an extensive set of stewardship programs that will bring together scientists, government officials, and local individuals in willing partnerships for the protection of species at risk.

Second, we are working on general compensation regulations that will get us started on that track, if needed. Those regulations will set out the procedures for compensation claims arising from the imposition of regulations to prevent the destruction of critical habitat. And we will address claims on a case-by-case basis.

Now, some want much more than that. They want details and processes and mechanics and a fully-developed system. I understand that desire but I think this is one of those cases where we need to move intelligently and practically and that means, in this case, more slowly.

Canada has to build practical experience in implementing the stewardship and recovery provisions of the Species at Risk Act. We have to work our way through the issues that will arise in addressing questions of compensation.

That experience will help us develop precise and detailed regulations on questions including eligibility and amounts in time. That experience will be complemented by thorough consultation with everyone who has a stake in building a system that works - for species at risk, for people and for Canada.

Will the new system in the Species at Risk Act work? I certainly believe so - and largely because the primary focus on stewardship and conservation is already working.

We have seen impressive cooperation on protecting species at risk. Take the example of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. As a result of the Plan, more than 5 million acres of wetlands have come under protection in North America since 1986. Many species of waterfowl have benefited from this. And cooperation - with individual farmers in the forefront - was essential to getting those results.

Now, that is just one group of species. So, we reinforced that commitment to stewardship with the Habitat Stewardship Program. Under this Program, we have targeted $45 million over five years for stewardship activities. In its first year alone, this program established more than 70 partnerships with landowners, resource users, nature trusts and many other groups and individuals and these partnerships are helping to protect more than 100 species at risk

We added to this approach by providing more favourable tax treatment for the contribution of ecologically sensitive lands. Canadian landowners have already donated more than 20,000 hectares as ecological gifts.

The record of partnerships to protect species of all kinds is clear and Bill C-5 will help to move us even further in an important direction.

Climate Change

Of course, when you are responsible for environmental issues in Canada, you have a full plate, even if there is no legislation in Parliament. Right now, one of the biggest issues on my agenda - and on this world's agenda - is climate change.

Still, I have said that I find it strange that we keep going back to square one in this debate - going over the same ground about what is happening in our atmosphere and what it will mean if we don't take more action to rein in our production of greenhouse gases.

Lately, there have been a lot of comments on the possible costs of action. I want offer a bigger picture view of what Canada faces and what Canada can do. In particular, I want to talk about climate change and our road from here from the farm perspective.

The first place to start is to look at what climate change means in practice to our agricultural community - a community that is deeply affected by weather trends. The length of the growing season, the amount of rain, the stability of our water tables and the health of our rivers and streams are life and death issues for the farming community.

I say that because weather isn't all that critical for many of the people who are digging in their heels on climate change. If we get more heat waves, they'll just turn up the air conditioning. It's different for farmers.

The reality for farmers is that the twentieth century was the warmest century of the last millennium. The 1990s were the warmest decade of the last century. Now, the scientific evidence shows glaciers retreating - including those that feed major rivers on the Prairies.

The evidence shows climate zones shifting. This past year's drought on the Prairies may just be an unfortunate example of things to come. The science is suggesting that we could see lower crop yields and greater threats from insects and other pests. We see forecasts of maple sugar production disappearing completely from the North Eastern United States and southern regions of Quebec.

Then there are the impacts of an increase in severe weather events. For someone commenting on climate change from the comfortable distance of TV studio in a big city, the prospect of more heat waves and more severe flooding is just fodder for debate. For a farmer, an extra hail storm during a summer can spell the loss of a year's work in a few minutes.

Climate change is not a game for Canada's farmers.

The simple fact is that Canada's farmers have a great deal to lose if we do nothing about climate change. Farmers and the agricultural sector are part of a larger group that know the cost of inaction will be greater than the cost of action.

We are working hard with farmers to take action and to recognize what farmers are already accomplishing. Farmers also have a great deal to offer in helping reduce the causes of climate change.

In particular we may get credit for the so-called "carbon sinks." Canada's negotiators won a substantial level of credit for the important role that well-managed croplands play in absorbing carbon and making it a benefit, not a detriment, to the environment. Indeed, between farms and forests, we earned credits worth about 15% of our total target under the Kyoto Protocol.

I don't mind pointing out that some people in Canada disagreed loudly with our determination to get credit for what farmers are doing and could do. But we stood firm. The world agreed that credit for good farm management will encourage more farmers to take actions that address environmental needs.

And as a key element of our three-part plan on climate change, the Government of Canada is supporting the work of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada to encourage more farmers to adopt best practices. I don't want to take the thunder away from my colleague Lyle Vanclief but since he's already spoken to you, I might as well point out a few examples that he is part of.

One is that conservation or zero tillage is catching on. More farmers are keeping the stubble on their fields and planting the new crop right into it. Not only are they keeping erosion down and limiting weeds, they're reducing diesel fuel use.

We're seeing much more interest in shelterbelts with added federal incentives. Not only do these improve the biodiversity of farms and protect waterways, they support soil conservation and save energy by protecting farm buildings from wind and weather.

Both are part of our overall $500 million investments to date under the federal Action Plan 2000. However, action on climate change is about more than addressing existing practices. It has to include looking ahead and finding new benefits.

One of the most important focuses for creating benefits for farmers and rural economies is our work through the Future Fuels Program. The goal is simple. We want to increase the supply and use of ethanol produced from biomass. We want farmers to be able to sell plant fibre, corn and other grains for use in fuels. If the projections turn out as expected, this could mean a demand for up to 2.5 million tonnes of feed-stock grains as well as hundreds of new jobs.

In the consultations that we will carry out this year before we ratify the Kyoto Protocol, I look forward to exploring even more how our progress on climate issues can meet the needs of our farmers. I look forward to seeing how we can address the issues that matter to you on our way forward.

One final point on climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. I am sure you have all heard about the report released two days ago by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters claiming that implementing the Kyoto Protocol will mean a loss of 450,000 jobs in Canada. First, they based their report on outdated figures that don't include our successful international negotiations on sinks and emissions trading. Since Marrakech, federal and provincial officials are working on an updated impact analysis which we hope will be available in April/May. I understand the public need for this information, but it needs to be done right and cannot happen overnight. In the meantime organizations such as the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters are pushing information that is misleading. Second, I think it is interesting to note that the industrial processing and manufacturing sector has increased its output by about 30% since 1990 while keeping its level of emissions stable.

Conclusion

I'm going to make just a couple more points before I wrap up today. The first is that when I was looking at the background information on this conference, I noticed you described the environment as, and I'm quoting here, a "new" issue.

With all due respect, I'm not convinced. My experiences over many years have proven to me that many farmers have a deep understanding of environmental issues. Long before we came up with the term "sustainable development" to describe making decisions that take environmental and economic and social impacts into account, many farmers were doing precisely that. They did it when they thought about how best to manage their lands for the long-term. They did it when they protected special habitats and much more.

The "new" part is the importance that governments and other partners for environmental action place on enlisting the entire farm community in getting results. And we have seen enormous progress in that direction.

I have been particularly impressed by the number of farmers who have developed environmental management plans for their farms and who are looking for ways to improve their performance. What is particularly important is how much these plans are looking past the farm gate to the larger environment - to address issues that can affect the communities in which you live and farm.

For example, we're seeing action through plans to manage manure safely. Right now these plans are making a difference in water quality - a critical issue in many, many parts of Canada. Walkerton has been a wake up call to all of Canada, and farmers are in the forefront of those who are taking action to address the many issues raised by the Walkerton tragedy. The environmental management plans which you and others are setting in place address land management, animal waste disposal and related water quality concerns. This is a prime example of how those who work in the agriculture sector can be in the forefront of sustainable environmental management.

Equally important is the fact that these environmental management plans are pointing us to a future in which we find innovative ways to tackle the methane emissions from livestock operations that may be part of our future greenhouse gas responses.

We are proud to work with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and with provincial and territorial groups to support those and many other actions. Within the Government of Canada, I have already noted that Environment Canada is working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and other departments to find ways to ensure that the needs and realities of farmers are taken into account in our vision of the future - and in our efforts today.

That is very much the case with our work on species at risk. The direction that our legislation set makes sense for Canada's farm community and I believe it deserves your concrete support.

The same is true for our work on climate change. Will there be costs to Canada if we take action? Of course and we have never pretended otherwise. However, I believe strongly that the costs of not taking action - of droughts, of heat waves, of severe weather events and more are going to be higher still. And farmers will be on the front lines as those events happen.

With your continued cooperation, Canada can get results on climate change and we can capture the benefits.

Thank you very much for this time today. Above all, let me thank you for your cooperation to date and for what it will help us to achieve in the future.