The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crop’s (CRSC) has created an agro-ecosystem working group. The group has created a “vision for sustainability” for Canadian agriculture over the next 10 years.
With a commitment to using science as the guiding principal for development of 12 key outcomes for 2026, the seven member organizations of the working group include: Canadian Federation of Agriculture, CropLife Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Fertilizer Canada, Grain Growers of Canada, Soil Conservation Council of Canada, and the World Wildlife Fund Canada.
The vision intends to guide Canadian farmers to meet the growing demand for increased production while conserving and restoring ecosystem health such as soil, water and wildlife, and managing climate risk for future generations.
The 12 areas of focus include, in part: Canada being recognized as a leader in sustainable agriculture; BMPs that have been shown to be economically and environmentally sound — such as reduced/zero-tillage, Integrated Pest Management and 4R Nutrient Stewardship — are actively encouraged by industry; Canadian agriculture is recognized as a leader in the development and adoption of practices that help to manage climate risk by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving carbon sequestration; and, production of ecological goods and services within cropping systems are valued and, where possible, quantified across the agriculture industry.
“The CRSC is proud to have been part of developing this vision,” says Mark Brock, chair of the CRSC steering committee. “Sustainability is the common ground between environmental and agricultural interests and we thank all the founding organizations for their involvement; in particular, the leadership of Maria Trainer and Paul Thoroughgood. We applaud them for discovering things we can agree on, rather than focusing on those we cannot and inspiring our entire sector. To realize this vision, actions must be taken, and the CRSC looks forward to being part of the work that lies ahead.”
To read the entire vision statement, visit sustainablecrops.ca/projects.
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