Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Climate Action
WHY
This section highlights the co-benefits associated with helping to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
- Helping farmers reduce GHGs means saving money, increasing efficiency, and realizing additional environmental benefits.
There are a multitude of co-benefits associated with reducing on-farm GHG emissions including helping farmers:
- save money on energy expenses
- make money from on-farm energy production and potentially, carbon offset generation
- reduce soil erosion, increase wildlife habitat
- increase the efficiency of livestock production systems
Most opportunities to conserve energy and switch away from fossil fuels will yield cost savings for agricultural producers. On-farm energy production has the potential to further these savings, particularly if some of the energy produced is utilized on-farm. Whether farmers are producing feedstock for an energy production facility or producing energy themselves, this activity has the potential to become a new source of revenue.
In addition to facilitating increased storage of carbon or reduced loss of carbon, soil conservation and sequestration activities such as tree planting protect exposed buildings from heat loss or gain, provide shelter and shade for livestock, reduce soil erosion and moisture loss, and provide a barrier for dust and odour. These activities also have the potential to generate revenue for agricultural operations through the sale of timber and non-timber resources.
