Photo: File

Study indicates methane emissions from dairy farms higher than previously thought

To reach net zero by 2050, the UK must reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and methane emissions from farm livestock pose a thorny problem. Ruminants such as cattle and sheep emit methane from their digestive systems and their manure. Scientists are trying to find ways to reduce these methane emissions without wiping out large parts of […] Read more



Close-up file photo of an alfalfa plant in a Canadian field. (Jennifer Seeman/iStock/Getty Images)

More N, more yield, less diesel

Perennial forage can keep nitrogen in the soil rather than escaping as greenhouse gas

A North American leader in advanced forage production systems wants producers to think about legumes as more than a feed source. University of Wisconsin professor emeritus Dan Undersander says they should also think of them as a nitrogen source for other crops, with a bonus of reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs). “By using legumes appropriately, we […] Read more



The 2030 Canadian Beef Goals Panel from the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Pentiction, B.C. Brenna Grant is third from left.

2030 Canadian Beef Goals highlight carbon emissions

Unpacking the carbon emission goals, the ongoing research and what it all means for Canada’s beef producers

On a stage with the lights dimmed, Brenna Grant sits with several other industry professionals, looking out on a room full of people. From all over the country, they’ve met in Penticton, B.C., to discuss the future of their industry at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. One of those possible futures is encompassed in the […] Read more

File photo of a garbage dump at Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. (Rlesyk/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada launches offset credits to help tackle emissions

Landfill gas protocols now launched; ag-related protocols soon to follow

Reuters — Canada on Wednesday launched a credit system for greenhouse gas offsets, a major part of its plan to cut carbon emissions, starting with a set of rules stipulating how projects can generate tradeable credits by capturing gas from landfills. The government said protocols for four other sectors including agriculture and forest management are […] Read more


Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media at the GLOBE Forum 2022 in Vancouver on March 29, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)

Canada lays out $9.1 billion roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets

About $1 billion earmarked for new or expanded ag programs

Reuters — Canada released its first real roadmap to meeting 2030 climate targets on Tuesday, laying out detailed plans and $9.1 billion in new spending to cut planet-warming carbon emissions after years failing to meet its goals. The Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is the first time Canada has had a comprehensive plan, rather than just […] Read more

While cattle often shoulder the blame for methane emissions, the reality is that other industries emit more methane in Canada.

Curbing methane emissions will take a team effort

The beef industry has made big strides in reducing its contributions, but there is more work to do

When Karen Beauchemin began researching ruminant nutrition more than two decades ago, the conversation around greenhouse gas emissions was just beginning. Dr. Beauchemin, a research scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, felt early on there was an environmental angle to her work in addition to improving animal nutrition, productivity […] Read more



Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, with Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna (l) and Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault (r), speaks at the Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa on Dec. 11, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

No credit expected for farmers’ past work in new carbon market

Work on protocols for specific projects to begin this spring, department says

Draft regulations for Canada’s new carbon market show Canadian farmers won’t receive credit for removing any greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the atmosphere prior to 2017. Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on Friday announced the offset market, to be known as the Federal Greenhouse Gas Offset System. A 60-day public consultation period on draft regulations […] Read more