From November 7, 2017 to February 7, 2018, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food conducted a study on climate change adaptation and water and soil conservation issues.

The Committee heard from witnesses that they are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. The report describes these impacts, such as changing weather patterns and more extreme weather events. It also describes anticipated future impacts of climate change on Canadian agriculture, including the expanded distribution of pests and diseases. In addition, the report outlines Canada’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which affect farmers because they need to adapt their practices to remain competitive while continuing to reduce emissions. It also outlines the policy frameworks that relate to climate change adaptation in Canada broadly and agriculture specifically. The Committee heard from witnesses about the challenges of protecting soil and water resources in the context of climate change, and the report outlines challenges and solutions in both of these areas.

The report outlines ways the government could pro-actively address challenges associated with adapting to climate change, while helping the agriculture and agri-food industry stay competitive and grow as planned: Investing in innovation and research; better mapping Canada’s soils; and supporting research related to strengthening the environmental sustainability of the sector, among others.

The report highlights steps the government could take to position Canadian farmers to be world leaders in sustainable agriculture, and to help Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector build resilience to climate change. The Committee’s recommendations include incentivizing climate-resilient agricultural practices and disseminating information about them; closing the gap between researchers and producers through extension, and developing business risk management programs that support producers’ innovative efforts to adapt to climate change.

Given agricultural producers’ long history of successful adaptation, the Committee believes that with government support for research, innovation, and building public trust, Canadian agricultural producers will continue to build a climate-resilient future.