Governments of Saskatchewan and Alberta Disappointed In Federal Target for Fertilizer Emissions Reduction

Jul 26, 2022

Saskatchewan and Alberta Ministers of Agriculture are expressing profound disappointment in the federal government's fertilizer emissions reduction target.

"We're really concerned with this arbitrary goal," Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit said. "The Trudeau government has apparently moved on from their attack on the oil and gas industry and set their sights on Saskatchewan farmers."

"This has been the most expensive crop anyone has put in, following a very difficult year on the prairies," Alberta Minister of Agriculture Nate Horner said. "The world is looking for Canada to increase production and be a solution to global food shortages. The Federal government needs to display that they understand this. They owe it to our producers."

Fertilizer emissions reduction was not even a topic on the agenda of the annual meeting of Federal-Provincial-Territorial ministers of agriculture, who just finished 3 days of meetings in Saskatchewan. Provinces pushed the federal government to discuss this important topic, but were disappointed to learn that the target is already set. The commitment to future consultations are only to determine how to meet the target that Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Bibeau have already unilaterally imposed on this industry, not to consult on what is achievable or attainable.

Western Canadian farmers already produce the most sustainable agri-food products in the world, and they're continually being asked to do more with less. We cannot feed the growing world population with a reduction in fertilizer.

Western Canadian producers base fertilizer inputs on realistic targets based on moisture availability. Producers are conservative in the use of fertilizer inputs and don't add more than what is needed. They alone simply cannot shoulder the impact of this shortsighted policy.

4R Nutrient Stewardship is a made-in-Canada approach that promotes environmental stewardship through best practices in science-based nutrient management. This innovative partnership is an example of government, industry and farmers working together to achieve better environmental outcomes without reducing much needed food production. Western Canada already accounts for almost all of the acres under 4R management in Canada.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.