agriculture and agri-food canada

AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA

PRESENTATION TO :

The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

February 24, 2003 - Regina

THERE IS A HISTORY OF ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON THE PRAIRIES…..• Since the late 1800’s climate variability has

necessitated government action to help agriculture adapt to the semi-arid climate – Dominion Experimental Farms established, and evolved into AAFC Research Stations.

• Drought has been a reoccurring problem, and in 1935, AAFC established the PFRA to assist in the “rehabilitation of the drought and soil drifting areas … and to develop and promote systems of farm practice, tree culture, water supply, land utilization and land settlement that will afford greater economic security”

EXTENT OF 2002 DROUGHT IN THE PRAIRIE REGION OF CANADA

• Temperatures higher / Growing season longer• Precipitation would increase and be more variable• Evaporation would increase (offsetting

precipitation)• Weather/Climate would be increasingly uncertain• Droughts would be more frequent and longer• Opportunities to grow new crops / develop new

areas for agriculture

SIMULATIONS INDICATE THAT CLIMATE CHANGE WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE PRAIRIES……

• All levels of Government– AAFC recognizes an important role here

• Private sector industry

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE ARE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY …

• New initiatives and transitions aimed at specific outcomes:– On-Farm Action– Knowledge and Information

NEW APF PROGRAMMING BUILDS ON AAFC EXPERIENCE ON THE PRAIRIES TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR ADAPTATION NATIONALLY THROUGH…

• Water Programming• Shelterbelt Center Programs• Rangeland Development and Management• Greencover Program• Environmental Farm Planning and BMPs• National Land and Water Information System

(NLWIS) and Agroclimate Information

AAFC INITIATIVES WILL STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR ADAPTATION NATIONALLY THROUGH…

AAFC WATER PROGRAMS SUPPORT ADAPTATION IN MANY WAYS …

• Strategic studies to determine secure water supplies for agricultural areas

• Proposals for individual and large scale projects• Irrigation efficiency research and demonstrations• Rural Water Development Program ($5.5M/yr.)

– eg. Rural Water Pipelines– Transition to a national program underway

within APF

• Main Components of New APF Program– Infrastructure Development– Strategic Water Planning to support the growth

of the agriculture sector• Climate Variability/Change a Key Consideration:

– Eg. Climate change scenario development for Prairie water supplies with support from the Climate Change Action Fund

AAFC NATIONAL WATER SUPPLY EXPANSION PROGRAM (NWSEP) SUPPORTS ADAPTATION …

• Multiple objective programming that includes climate change adaptation

• Shelterbelt planting attempts to modify local climate

• 5.5 million tree seedlings, adapted to Prairie climate, are distributed annually

• New APF initiatives for shelterbelts across Canada

AAFC SHELTERBELT CENTRE SUPPORTS ADAPTATION …

• 1930’s - Prairie cropland and rangeland which was unable to cope with drought was converted (adapted) into managed community pastures

• 1980’s - Permanent Cover Program and Green Plan programs helped with adaptation and enhanced environmental management

• 1990’s - ongoing applied research, field demonstrations, and awareness activities

• 2000’s - APF Greencover Programming

AAFC RANGE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS ADAPTATION …

• Conversion of environmentally sensitive land to perennial cover

• National focus for shelterbelt planting• Technical assistance for enhanced rangeland

management and riparian areas

AAFC GREENCOVER PROGRAM SUPPORTS ADAPTATION …

Greencover will contribute to the Environment Priority of APF with up to 1.6 million ha of land in Canada benefiting from improved management

AAFC’S ENVIRONMENTAL WORK LINKED THRU NEW INITIATIVES UNDER THE APF…

• Building on past work to formalize and implement Beneficial Management Practices

• Development and implementation of Environmental Farm Plans (EFP’s)

These initiatives will consider the need to adapt to climate change

AAFC’S ENVIRONMENTAL WORK LINKED THRU NEW INITIATIVES UNDER THE APF (con’t)…..

• National Agriculture Water Strategy to provide a strategic context for programming– address quantity / quality issues in a changing

climate– in preliminary stages of development

• Operationalizing NLWIS, including agroclimate activities, as an important aspect of AAFC’s role in support of adaptation

• Enhanced (interpreted) climate information is an essential element of adaptation

• Climate monitoring / reporting – (eg. drought or excess moisture)

• Practical climate change scenario development related to agricultural activities

• Early warning of seasonal climate risks and opportunities, specific to agriculture

AAFC PRAIRIE AGROCLIMATE UNITEXPANDS UNDER APF TO SUPPORT ADAPTATION NATIONALLY…

• Desertification is a climate change concern - under the authority of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Canada plays a key role globally as both a donor country and an affected country

AAFC AGROCLIMATE ACTIVTIESSUPPORT ADAPTATION (con’t) …

Climate change crosses political boundaries – need to integrate efforts of Canada/U.S./Mexico

With the APF, AAFC will be well positioned to help the agriculture sector adapt to increasing uncertainty in our weather and climate.

Thank you for this opportunity to offer a presentation to your Committee