REGINA — Growers at the SaskOilseeds annual meeting rejected a resolution calling for more research into best practices to supply accurate information throughout the food chain and meet market demand.
The resolution called on SaskOilseeds to promote and support research necessary to provide evidence and adoption of best practices, given the gaps in empirical research and the shifting policy toward greenhouse gas emissions.
Langham, Sask., farmer Doyle Wiebe said food chain participants between the grower and the consumer are under increasing pressure to provide evidence about that chain’s environmental impact. This is often referred to as Scope 3 emissions.
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He said some countries are increasingly sensitive to emissions attributable to imported products.
“There’s been a lot of emphasis in research programs to help produce our crop safely and in quantity, but production is only half of the bottom line on my farm,” he told the meeting.
The other half is price and demand. Wiebe said producers require strong demand but also consumer trust in the way it’s produced, and more research should be done to provide that evidence.
Ian McCreary from Bladworth, Sask., chaired the national task force that led to the On Farm Climate Action Fund. He said that last winter he and Gordon Bacon, former chief executive officer of Pulse Canada, led a forum with 36 farmers from across Western Canada and sector researchers.
“What became clear is that, as Doyle said, the data is incomplete,” McCreary said. “And the other thing that’s clear is that industry and consumers are on a freight train that if we don’t get involved in directing is likely to dramatically affect our business.”
He said national evidence or policy doesn’t suit every farm.
“It’s clear that the farmers’ natural instinct is often correct, that what might work in Melfort doesn’t work in Leader, Sask.,” he said.
Ramping up regional research, under farmer direction and oversight, would provide that data, he added.
However, others said the work is already being done and the resolution was too vague.
Outgoing SaskFlax chair Greg Sundquist said researchers bring their proposals to the commissions.
“I don’t know if we can go out and say, ‘somebody’s got to do this,’ ” he said.
Global Institute for Food Security chair Alanna Koch said that organization has already released information showing how crops produced in Saskatchewan are more sustainable than most other areas of the world.
The first study was on wheat, durum, canola, lentils and yellow peas, and work is now underway on other crops, she said. Industry should take a look at that publicly available study for the evidence, she added.
“Of course it’s about continuous improvement, but I think we’ve got a lot of data there already,” she said.
Wiebe said the resolution was intentionally vague. He said the commissions could ask researchers to look into some of their priorities as well.
Companies are asking for Scope 3 emission data, and finding that data should be a priority, he said.
The resolution also noted that environmental and climate study is science, not a political ideology.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
