Improving water and fertilizer management to keep agriculture and the environment green and sustainable

Jun 13, 2017

Farmers know the importance of keeping the land, water and air healthy to sustain their farms and livelihoods from one generation to the next. They also know that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand-in-hand.

Parliamentary Secretary Jean-Claude Poissant was joined today by Member of Parliament Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis) to announce, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, a contribution of more than $2.9 million for two McGill University projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by water and fertilizer use in agriculture.

This funding, which comes from the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program (AGGP), will enable McGill University to develop policies, models and new practices for water management systems ($1,608,712), and to assess the effectiveness and the impact on soils of using municipal biosolids as fertilizers in three different Canadian climate zones ($1,366,961).

These projects will provide farmers with access to cost-effective best management practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: AAFC

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.