Provincial ag ministers ‘disappointed’ with federal fertilizer emissions target

The agriculture ministers from Saskatchewan and Alberta have roundly condemned the federal government’s target to reduce emissions from fertilizer use.

The federal government has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer use by 30 per cent as part of its overall effort to reduce Canada’s emissions by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030.

In a joint statement, David Marit, Saskatchewan’s minister for agriculture, and Nate Horner, his Alberta counterpart, blasted the federal government for a target they say will hurt farmers.

“We’re really concerned with this arbitrary goal,” Marit said in the statement. “The Trudeau government has apparently moved on from their attack on the oil and gas industry and set their sights on Saskatchewan farmers.”

Horner said given the current issues with global food supply, the measure is coming at the worst possible time.

“The world is looking for Canada to increase production and be a solution to global food shortages,” Horner said in the same statement. “The federal government needs to display that they understand this. They owe it to our producers.”

According to the Government of Saskatchewan, producers in the west are already conservative in their fertilizer use and don’t apply more than is needed, meaning they aren’t able to simply reduce the amount to help achieve the target.

“We cannot feed the growing world population with a reduction in fertilizer,” the statement read.

At a recent meeting of federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers, provinces pushed for more discussion on the fertilizer emissions target, the provincial government said, but “were disappointed to learn the target is already set.”

According to the province, the federal government’s commitment to consultations on the subject only extend to meeting the targets rather than what is actually achievable.

Despite their criticism of the federal targets, the ministers noted that fertilizer use is already being addressed through programs like 4R Nutrient Stewardship, which was described as “an example of government, industry and farmers working together to achieve better environmental outcomes without reducing much needed food production.”