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By Canadian Press and rdnewsNOW

red deer producers

Feds approve nine Living Labs to involve ag producers in reducing greenhouse gases

Jul 15, 2022 | 1:52 PM

Alberta Beef Producers are looking for Red Deer and central Alberta-based producers to participate in a new $8.5 million living lab project.

The initiative is one of nine announced by the federal government this week, which expands a program to include the agricultural sector. It’s goal is to come up with solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the creation of the new Living Labs late Thursday, with investments in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador at a cost of $54 million.

Each lab, which brings together farmers and scientists, will focus on identifying innovative technologies and on-farm management practices that can be adopted by farmers countrywide to tackle climate change.

“Across Canada, farmers are on the front lines of climate change and Alberta is no exception,” Bibeau said Thursday at a news conference in Calgary.

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“It’s a made-in-Canada approach that gets research out of the lab and onto real working farms. Together, they develop and test practices and technology that help a farmer protect the environment and grow the business.”

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is managing one of two projects approved in Alberta.

It intends to explore the use of beef, forage and cropping systems to improve carbon storage and reducing emissions. It is expected to look at crop rotations, changes in land use, grazing techniques, livestock and nutrient management.

“Alberta Beef Producers is extremely pleased to be involved with this collaborative, multi-sectoral Agricultural Climate Solutions project, as it will benefit Alberta’s beef, forage and cropping sectors,” Dr. Melanie Wowk, Chair, Alberta Beef Producers, says.

“We recognize the importance of our continual efforts to improve carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate impacts of climate change, while ensuring farms remain competitive, profitable and sustainable for future generations.”

In addition to Red Deer, ABP will be seeking up to 50 producers for this project from the Peace, Edmonton and Lethbridge regions as well. If interested in taking part, contact karins@albertabeef.org.

Another living lab planned for Alberta spans the entire province, and will be conducted by the Alberta Conservation Association.

According to a summary:

A collaborative effort between the ACA and Food Water Wellness Foundation, this living lab will look to improve soil health, reduce costs of production, and sequester carbon in the soil using regenerative agriculture. The living lab will explore BMPs in cover cropping, intercropping, relay cropping, adaptive multi-paddock grazing, the use of perennials and animals in cropping systems, as well as feeding strategies to reduce methane production. The projects undertaken here will also amplify and support traditional ecological knowledge and efforts of First Nations in tackling agricultural climate solutions.

The overall federal initiative was first introduced in 2018 and Bibeau said the goal is to have at least one living lab in each province with more announcements coming in the near future.

“The way we use and manage the millions of acres of farmland across Canada will play a key role in addressing climate change and feeding the world,” Bibeau said.

“Our efforts are accelerating the sector’s ability to respond to climate change, all while working to ensure global food security.”

(with files from The Canadian Press – July 14, 2022)