Grain farmers reduced emission intensity by 50% over 20 years

Apr 23, 2024

Even before the Liberal government introduced its fertilizer emission reduction target, Canadian grain farmers were leading the way in reducing agricultural emissions.

According to the Grain Growers of Canada, between 1997 and 2017, grain farmers surpassed the entire economy in reducing emission intensity. Emission intensity measures a farmer’s emission output relative to the production of a single bushel.

Over that period, grain farmers reduced their emission intensity by 50%, while the entire Canadian economy saw a 36% reduction.

“For decades, grain farmers have been at the forefront of sustainability, making Canada a global leader in producing grain with the lowest emissions possible,” said the advocacy group’s vice-chair, William van Tassel.

“Yet, boosting our competitiveness and commitment to emission reductions demands a significant increase in research and development investments. These investments are essential for overcoming current obstacles and leveraging future opportunities.”

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Border View Farms is a mid-sized family farm that sits on the Ohio-Michigan border. My name is Nathan. I make and edit all of the videos posted here. I farm with my dad, Mark and uncle, Phil. We also have a part-time employee, Brock. My dad started the farm in 1980. Since then we have grown the operation from just a couple hundred acres to over 3,000. Watch my 500th video for a history of our farm I filmed with my dad.

I started making these videos in the fall of 2019 as a way to help show what I do on a daily basis as a farmer. Agriculture is different from any other industry and I believe the more people that are showing their small piece of agriculture, helps to build our story. We face unique challenges and stressful situations but have some of the most rewarding payoffs in the end. I get to spend everyday doing what I love, raising my kids on the farm, and trying to push our farm to be better every year. I hope that I can address questions or concerns that you might have about farms and agriculture.