It’s official – Canadian agriculture is becoming more environmentally
friendly.
For Agriculture Canada environmental specialist Alex Lefebvre, it is
confirmation of a trend that many analysts had identified, even if
there was little statistical proof.
“It is not news that farmers are adopting these practices, but it is
good news that we now have proof.”
The proof came from the 2001 census of agriculture and the first
results that were published in mid-May.
During the past five years, the number of acres sprayed with
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insecticides fell 25 percent, although land sprayed with herbicides
increased 11 percent. Commercial fertilizer application declined almost
four percent.
Zero-tilled land increased dramatically, especially in Saskatchewan,
where more than one-third of the seeded land fell into the category
last year – the highest in Canada.
Manure increasingly replaced commercial fertilizer.
Organic farming, while still on the margins, grew substantially.
Census analysts enthused about evidence that farmers have embraced
environmental practices.
“Environmentally friendly land management practices have surpassed
conventional tillage methods in popularity and now are used on 60
percent of land tilled, double what it was in 1991,” Statistics Canada
said.
The agency said the greatest changes have been in the West.
Lefebvre, a senior energy analyst in Agriculture Canada’s environment
bureau, said farmers and the environment both benefit from reduced
tillage.
“The census gives us a snapshot of what is happening and it is
definitely good news,” he said.
It reinforces the “environmental sustainability” goal of the new
national agricultural policy being negotiated between federal and
provincial agriculture ministers.
It supports the federal government’s view that better land management
and farming practices that lead to more carbon sequestering in the land
and less carbon emission from farms will make agriculture a key player
in meeting Canada’s international greenhouse gas emission targets.
And it helps farmers.
“I think the decision to move to less tillage is an economic decision
by farmers because it cuts their tillage costs,” Lefebvre said.
“It also helps the environment and supports policy decisions we have
been making. It is a win-win.”
A Statistics Canada analysis of the census data emphasized the economic
benefits.
“Practices such as conservation tillage minimize the number of passes
farmers make over their fields, which in turn decreases fuel costs and
lowers carbon dioxide emissions.”
Saskatchewan has led the way in environmental adaptation, according to
the data.
It has the most acres under reduced tillage and saw cropland increase
almost seven percent during the past five years because of reduced
summerfallow.
As well, the province’s 773 farms that are at least partially dedicated
to organic production represented more than one-third of the national
total.
Statistics Canada said new equipment and varieties suitable to reduced
tillage operations have helped Saskatchewan farmers embrace
environmentally beneficial tillage methods.
“Not only does the environment benefit, soil moisture is retained for
use by the crop, (but) the farmer spends less time in the field and
fewer tractor hours are logged on machinery to accomplish seeding with
conservation tillage and no-till seeding,” said the agency analysis.
