ALBERTA FARMERS PLAY THE CARBON OFFSET GAME

    “As agriculture continues to change and evolve, clearly defining what agriculture is, along with the activities that fall under its umbrella, becomes more important,” he said. Proposed federal legislation on carbon emissions includes a definition of eligible farming activities provides little details on what is covered. It needs to be discussed.
    The government needs to realize that Canadian food exporters are competing against products from countries that don’t with a carbon tax of any kind. “Steps must be taken to ensure that carbon pricing does not affect our competitiveness on the global stage.
    “Within our own country, farmers are already being affected differently by carbon pricing due to approaches taken by each province,” he said. “This has created disadvantages for some producers. We would like to see a federal, standardized approach to the carbon offset system, which would help to level the playing feel for farmers across Canada and allow for trading of carbon credits across provinces.”