Environmental Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture: Agri-Environmental Indicator Report Series - Report #2

Do you want to know more about the national and regional trends in various agri-environmental conditions across Canada ?

Read the Agri-Environmental Indicator Report Series - Report #2. This report provides information on results and trends for 12 agri-environmental indicators (AEIs) related to soil quality, water quality, air quality and biodiversity and for environmental farm management for the period 1981-2001 . This second report also provides information on 13 new indicators that are in various stages of development and are expected to generate results in the near future.

These AEIs are the result of efforts to develop new ways of measuring and understanding the links between agriculture and the environment. They are science-based measures of key environmental conditions, risks, and changes resulting from agriculture, and of management practices that producers use to mitigate these risks.

Overall, we found that changes in agricultural practices over the 20-year period under review have resulted in:

• A general improvement in soil management with numerous environmental benefits, including an overall reduction in soil erosion and net greenhouse gas emissions;
• Increased environmental risks related to increases in residual nitrogen and in the risk of water contamination by nitrogen;
• Either a steady state or a slight decrease in wildlife habitat capacity on farmland in all provinces except Saskatchewan.

Complete report