By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter) with files fom Fertilizer Canada

New Partnership helps farmers fight climate change

Sep 11, 2017 | 2:49 PM

OTTAWA –  Alberta Farmers now have access to more tools to help them take charge against climate change, by adopting scientifically proven on-farm best management practices, to limit the impacts of agriculture on natural resources like air, water and soil.

Fertilizer Canada has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Agricultural Research & Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) that includes integration of 4R Nutrient Stewardship (Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place) into the province’s Environmental Farm Plan (EFP).

A statement from Fertilizer Canada explains the agreement is part of the organization’s effort to create a sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Canada.

“We are pleased that ARECA has officially recognized 4R Nutrient Stewardship as a best practice for nutrient management on Alberta farms,” said Garth Whyte, President and CEO of Fertilizer Canada. “By encouraging farmers across the province to use fertilizer effectively, Alberta is joining the front lines in the fight against climate change and ensuring their place among the world’s leaders in sustainable agriculture.”

 4R Nutrient Stewardship helps apply the right source of fertilizer at the right rate, the right time and the right place, farmers can ensure nutrients are efficiently taken up by their crops and are not lost to air, water or soil. The goal is to increase crop productivity and reduces unwanted environmental impacts.

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Managed by ARECA, the province’s EFP self-assessment process encourages producers to assess and identify environmental risks on their farms and take action to improve their practices.

 As growers in Alberta adopt 4R Nutrient Stewardship under the Alberta EFP, the acres they manage will be counted under Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Designation program, which tracks the amount of Canadian farmland using 4R Nutrient Stewardship to boost productivity and conserve resources.

Fertilizer Canada hopes to showcase 20 million 4R acres by 2020, or about 25 per cent of Canadian farmland, to exhibit Canada’s agriculture sector commitment to adopting climate-smart and sustainable farm practices.

To learn more about 4R Nutrient Stewardship and the benefits it offers, visit www.fertilizercanada.ca.

Learn more about the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan and the benefits it offers by visiting www.AlbertaEFP.com.