By Bruce Cochrane.
The Climate Project Coordinator with Keystone Agricultural Producers says a well designed carbon pricing system will allow farmers to be part of the solution to climate change while improving the viability of their farms.
To help address climate change, the Canadian government is planning to put a price on carbon emissions.
Keystone Agricultural Producers will host a webinar tomorrow morning to discuss the government's plan and the potential role of agriculture.
Sean Goertzen, KAP’s climate project coordinator, says we need to figure out what design for carbon pricing will best enable farmers to be part of the solution to climate change.
Sean Goertzen-Keystone Agricultural Producers:
A poorly designed carbon price could do little more than raise costs for farmers.
On the other hand, if we get a well designed carbon price it could help farmers be part of the solution to climate change and it could help them save money at the same time so there's great potential for agriculture to be part of the solution, both by reducing emissions and by increasing carbon sequestration on crop and pasture lands.
A carbon price could help pay for those solutions.
I think farmers want a plan that allows them to be part of the solution to protecting the environment, to deal with climate change, but be part of the solution in a way that works for their business.
They're busy, the don't want massive new costs added to their business.
They want to be part of the solution but they want to be part of it in a way that works for their business.
I think another thing is they're interested to see if carbon pricing could work together with ALUS and that's the Alternative Land Use Services.
Basically ALUS is a way for farmers to be paid to protect the environment and it's focused often on wetlands and managing water but it's interesting to see if there might be a way to integrate those things.
For more information on carbon pricing and on participating in the webinar visit KAP.mb.ca or call Sean Goertzen at 204 990-7326.
Source: Farmscape