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QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Support for Farmers and Producers

November 22, 2023


Minister, agriculture has huge economic potential. However, it needs government support and investment that is commensurate with rising inputs, labour, land and transportation costs, and we can’t forget about rising interest rates.

Yet, farmers have been early adopters of new technologies and are always looking for ways to further improve their sustainability efforts.

Your government has introduced programs to help farmers adopt new technologies, such as the Climate Action Incentive Fund, or CAIF; this was a popular program. The agriculture industry liked this program so much that it was oversubscribed and applications have been closed since 2019.

Minister, this was a program of your ministry. Funding like this does not exist through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, or AAFC. Therefore, can you let the chamber know what other government programs exist through your department to support farmers? How will your ministry help our farmers continue to transition to cleaner and greener practices?

Hon. Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P., Minister of Environment and Climate Change [ + ]

Thank you, senator.

Over the last two years, our government has invested $1.5 billion in programs to support farmers to reduce emissions on farms and grow their operations. This includes, for example, $50 million to help farmers buy new grain drying equipment that reduced greenhouse gas emissions. More than 128 grain dryer projects have been approved.

It also includes a $495 million investment in research, development and adoption of clean technologies; and, last but not least, $670 million to support the adoption of greenhouse gas reduction practices on the farm.

I agree with you. We need to continue supporting our farmers in this transition to a low-carbon future. They play such a key role in our society. We will be there to continue supporting them.

Minister, according to AAFC, between 1997 and 2017, agriculture saw a 50% decrease in greenhouse gas emission intensity, meaning that agriculture emissions have remained static but they are producing twice as much food.

These environmental and economic improvements were made by farmers without a price on carbon. Farmers from coast to coast to coast have shared with parliamentarians that, due to the carbon tax surcharges, they don’t have the available capital to continue to make green investments.

Bill C-234 is before our chamber, and would free up capital for farmers to reinvest to continue to sustainably intensify. Minister, will you support our farmers and help provide carbon tax relief so they can continue investing in innovation?

Mr. Guilbeault [ + ]

You probably know, senator, that we have already excluded 97% of on-farm fuels for equipment using fossil fuels. That was from the get-go when we introduced carbon pricing. We have already recognized that there are some applications in the farming sector where there are no other alternatives to using fossil fuel-based equipment.

Where we are putting a price on pollution in the farming sector is where alternatives exist. We’re supporting the farmers to adopt those alternatives.

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