As I sit down to write this article in mid-January, there is "some" snow on the ground and it is -25 degrees C. We all wish for a nice deep blanket of snow across the prairies before spring. There has been so much talk about drought and grasshoppers that it seems to consume the agricultural press and the industry as a whole. It is important to remember that there are a number of positives--prices are up and for those who had just an average crop, it will be a very good year.
In the longer term we should be proud of our industry, one that has gone through many changes in the past 20 years, probably more than any other industry. The changes in this industry have been achieved by producers who are industrious, innovative and visionary. The livestock industry has new management systems and types of livestock unheard of a few years ago. The grains industry has more crops, improved and varied cropping systems and more efficient equipment. There are processing plants and equipment manufacturers all across this province. This adds to the diversity of our agricultural industry, the province, and the nation. Most of these innovations in agriculture were started by some individual(s) with a good idea. SSCA was organized by a group of such individuals. SSCA as a soil conservation group gives us the opportunity to feel positive about soil conservation and the ability to produce a crop under difficult conditions. The important thing to remember is the positive change and the fact that it was done by producers.
In December the federal government ratified the Kyoto accord. They also have been developing a new agricultural policy framework (APF). As I said in the last edition, one of the chapters of the APF is the environment in which the priority areas are soil, air, water, and biodiversity. They also believe that the way to effect changes in these areas is through an environmental farm plan something like the one that Ontario has had for about 10 years. The provincial council of ADD boards (PCAB) has received CARD funding to prepare a workbook to be used for an environmental farm plan in Saskatchewan. Also part of the APF environmental chapter is a permanent cover program. At this time, they have proposed a plan in which they would have a contract with a producer. The producer would seed a Green Cover Program and maintain it for at least ten years. Agriculture Canada would pay $45/acre of which $20/acre is for seed; the remainder is a one-time acreage payment. The interesting twist on this is that the federal government would claim ownership of carbon credits produced by this cover crop.
Not only are they claiming credits under the Green Cover Program, they now have also introduced a term "business as usual" (BAU). With this term, they are saying that farmers started practices like direct seeding for soil conservation purposes, not to produce carbon credits. Therefore, those carbon credits do not belong to producers. Producers who direct seed, particularly the early adopters, are positive individuals who are well described by the terms used earlier--visionary, innovative and industrious. The changes that were made to direct seed and the actions needed to maintain the carbon sink in the soil have been and will be done by producers. SSCA objects to anyone other than producers receiving the benefit of those actions. The policy of SSCA as passed at the board meeting Nov/02 is: "That farmer's actions can both reduce, and remove and store greenhouse gas emissions as a result of their management practices. The value that results from these actions must accrue to the farmer. Any emission reduction and/or removal credits created are the property of the farmer."
SSCA has formed alliances with other farm organizations, has met with the Hon. Ralph Goodale, and is presently working on other strategies to change this federal policy. The carbon credits produced by the actions of Canadian and Saskatchewan farmers is just another good news story for Canada and particularly Saskatchewan (almost 50% of arable land is in Saskatchewan). We need to keep the benefit on those farms.