Poll finds climate change, severe weather top issue for farmers across Canada

As a child, Mike Harlow spent his winters wading through the snow to help harvest Christmas trees on his family farm in Nova Scotia’s Queens County. Now, as the president of the province’s Christmas Tree Council, he is facing new challenges due to the changing climate.

According to Harlow, the temperatures in the fall have been increasingly warmer, leading to dry trees and later frosts, issues that were uncommon in previous years. To tackle these challenges, the Christmas Tree Council has implemented a climate adaptation strategy and even hired a dedicated staff member to address the issue.

However, it’s not just Christmas tree growers who are concerned about the impact of climate change on agriculture. Recent polling conducted by Farmers for Climate Solutions revealed that climate change is the top issue for farmers nationwide. The survey of 858 farmers and ranchers across Canada highlighted that almost a quarter of respondents viewed climate change and severe weather as the biggest challenge in the decade ahead.

Brent Preston, the president of Farmers for Climate Solutions, emphasized the need for farmers to reduce their reliance on high-input agriculture, which is a significant source of emissions. He suggested practices such as nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing as effective methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.

In Canada, crop and livestock production, excluding emissions from fossil fuel use or fertilizer production, accounts for 10% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. The survey indicated that farmers and ranchers are keen on adopting practices to reduce emissions, but they require more financial support, technical information, and training to do so effectively.

Alicia King, vice-president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, sees the changing growing season as an opportunity for farmers to explore new possibilities and grow different products. She emphasized the importance of federal programs tailored to address provincial issues and provide support in managing financial risks on farms.

While Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada offers programs to assist farmers during emergencies and financial downturns, there is a need for more responsive and tailored support for farmers in Nova Scotia. Minister Lawrence MacAulay acknowledged the discussions held during the last meeting of Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture to improve existing programs and make them more responsive to the needs of producers.

Despite the challenges posed by climate change, Mike Harlow remains optimistic that stable funding programs and support from the government will help not only Christmas tree growers but all farmers in the agriculture sector. He believes that producers are the experts and that governments should rely on industry guidance to make informed decisions.