The federal government’s voluntary 30% emission reduction target for fertilizers will not be mandated in the future, says Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Canada (AAFC).
“The purpose of the national fertilizer target is to reduce emissions, not to force a reduction in fertilizer use,” the AAFC wrote in an email to the Epoch Times.
“We aim to achieve this while maintaining or improving yield,” AAFC said. “The goal is to maximize efficiency, optimize fertilizer use, foster innovation and collaborate with the agricultural sector.”
The liberal government has set a national nitrogen fertilizer emission reduction target of 30% below 2020 levels in its latest climate plan.A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND A HEALTHY ECONOMY”
Government hopes to reach fertilizer Reduction target— and reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 40-45 percent by 2030, 2050.
The net-zero target will be reached within 20 years, but Marie-Claude Bibault, Minister for Agriculture, Agriculture and Food, insists that all climate measures in the agricultural sector, especially fertilizer cuts, remain voluntary.
“We’ve always said it’s a self-imposed goal,” Bibault said in an interview with Western Standard. Send the message that business as usual is good enough, and it’s not.”
Bibault added that “misinformation” was circulating that future fertilizer cuts would be forced, adding that the government’s goal was to reduce emissions “caused by fertilizers” and that “fertilizers themselves It said it was not used.
Conservative MP John Barlow, shadow minister for agriculture, agri-food and food security, said in July: Tweet The Trudeau government’s plan to cut fertilizer emissions could lead to similar problems playing out in countries like the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, where governments have imposed mandatory fertilizer cuts.
“Liberals are following the same agenda from farm to table, doing the same to our farmers by forcibly reducing fertilizer use, imposing burdensome carbon taxes, and stifling bureaucracy and regulation. It is not sustainable as it leads to lower yields and higher food costs.” barlow Video posted on Twitter on July 15th.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), a business advocacy group, made a request to the Canadian government in June 2022. report Continue to maintain a voluntary fertilizer reduction plan.
“Requiring Canadian agribusinesses to reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizers would add another hurdle and adversely affect an industry already hit hard by skyrocketing input costs and supply chain delays. said Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB senior vice president of national affairs.and news release.
CFIB policy analyst Taylor Brown said in an earlier interview with the Epoch Times that the CFIB was “reassured” by the federal government that the fertilizer cuts would remain voluntary.
“They are focused on emissions, not actual nitrogen fertilizer reductions,” she said. , consumers should be concerned about higher costs.”
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Peter Wilson is a reporter based in Ontario, Canada.