Agricultural Stakeholder Outreach
Attitudes & Perceptions Towards Nitrous Oxide Reductions in Crop Production
The pressure to change agricultural practices in order to mitigate emissions is high, with persisting
environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
In December 2020, the Government of Canada released A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, a climate plan that proposed Canada’s first national emission reduction target for the agricultural sector. This target aimed to reduce fertilizer-based emissions by 30 percent of 2020 levels by 2030. This target relies on the adoption of Best Management Practices for fertilizer use at the on-farm level. Choice to adopt the emission reduction strategies and practices is ultimately decided by the landowner, operator, and/or producer.
The proposed target was met with significant resistance opposition from producers and producer groups across Canada’s agricultural sector, particularly in western Canada, with claims that the target was the equivalent to a ban on fertilizer.