ENVIRONMENT

Producers have long recognized that agriculture's long-term vitality and profitability go hand-in-hand with its ability to co-exist sustainably with the natural environment. As a result, farmers have long been admirable stewards of Canada's land and water resources. Today, agricultural producers have an opportunity to use their good environmental practices to increase profitability, as consumers are increasingly basing buying decisions on their desire to see the production and manufacture of products done in an environmentally sustainable way.

Working together and with stakeholders, governments have developed the following proposed approach - one with meaningful and measurable goals - to improve environmental performance on farms across Canada and secure the benefits of improved performance for the sector. Details of the proposed approach are described below.

PROPOSED COMMON OUTCOME GOALS

Governments, in collaboration with the agriculture sector and other stakeholders, could work to achieve the following proposed goals:

• reduce agricultural risks and provide benefits to the health and supply of water, with key priority areas being nutrients, pathogens, pesticides and water conservation;
• reduce agricultural risks and provide benefits to the health of soils, with key priority areas being soil organic matter and soil erosion caused by water, wind or tillage;
• reduce agricultural risks and provide benefits to the health of air and the atmosphere, with key priority areas being particulate emissions, odours, and emissions of gases that contribute to global warming; and
• ensure compatibility between biodiversity and agriculture, with key priority areas being habitat availability, species at risk, and economic damage to agriculture from wildlife.

PROPOSED COMMON MANAGEMENT GOALS

It is proposed that governments work in collaboration with the agriculture sector and other stakeholders towards the goals of:

• the voluntary completion of a basic agri-environmental scan on all farms so as to identify farms and regions requiring corrective action;
• the voluntary completion of an environmental farm plan or voluntary participation in an equivalent environmental plan for all farms identified as requiring significant corrective action under the basic agri-environmental scan; and
• the implementation of environmental farm plans or equivalent environmental plans and improved stewardship through the adoption of environmentally beneficial practices in the management of nutrients, pests, land and water, nuisances, and biodiversity, as appropriate to the needs and circumstances of individual farms.

PROPOSED TARGETS AND INDICATORS

It is proposed that while governments would work together and with industry towards the common goals, the targets under each goal could vary across Canada given that the scope of the environmental challenge is different in different regions, as are the natural ecosystems.

It is proposed that governments would use common indicators to measure progress in achieving the proposed common environmental outcome and management goals.

Indicators could be reported within the timeframe of the APF on a frequency over which meaningful change can be detected and on which measurements can be made.

PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES

Sectoral Information and Understanding

Governments could develop and use common agri-environmental indicators and other appropriate analytical tools as may be required to track and predict agri-environmental performance, increase public awareness, support policy and program development, and report to the public.

Governments could also develop and use environmental monitoring networks to identify regional environmental conditions and trends attributable to agriculture, contribute to agri-environmental indicators, and increase public awareness.

Stewardship Tools and Capacity

Governments could conduct research and development to increase understanding of relationships between agriculture and the environment, develop and evaluate environmentally beneficial agricultural production and management practices, and establish agri-environmental standards that support the environmental common goals.

Governments could identify and assess emerging and innovative technologies and systems for environmentally responsible agriculture production and to provide this information to stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

Governments could make available to land-use decision makers decision tools and environmental information to support and inform local and regional agricultural land-use planning and management.

Agri-environmental Scans and Environmental Farm Planning

Governments could support the voluntary completion of a basic agri-environmental scan on farms so as to identify farms and regions requiring corrective action.

Governments could support the development and widespread use of environmental farm plans to increase farmer environmental awareness, assess environmental risks and benefits from agricultural operations, and mitigate environmental risks and realize environmental benefits from agricultural operations.

Governments could support the development and use of regional, community or multi-farm planning to facilitate the co-ordination and integration of environmental planning and management at the farm level.

Incentives for Accelerated Action

Governments could establish cost-shared programs to provide incentives to address identified environmental risks from agriculture and enhance environmental benefits from agriculture. Payments made under these programs could be guided by an environmental farm plan, equivalent environmental plan or another means of ranking the expected environmental benefits of the actions proposed for funding.

Governments could conduct a study of the way in which jurisdictions regulate agriculture as it affects the environment with a view to sharing best practices.

Securing Benefits for the Future

Governments could develop and make available to farmers a voluntary and recognized farm environmental certification program.

Governments could promote the development of agricultural goods and services that have recognized environmental benefits and market opportunities for such goods and services.

• What is the APF?
• Overview: Building a More Profitable Agriculture and Agri-food Sector for Canada
  
• Business Risk Management
  
• Renewal
  
• Food Safety and Food Quality
  
• Environment
  
• Science and Innovation
  
• Gaining Recognition at Home and Abroad and Maximizing International Opportunities