Tyler McCann discusses Canadian fertilizer emissions policy

Tyler McCann discusses Canadian fertilizer emissions policy

Tyler McCann, a Bristol farmer and managing director of the Canada Agri-food Policy Institute, recently penned an opinion piece that was published in the Globe and Mail, regarding Canada’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer usage.

He spoke with CHIP 101.9 about some of the issues that he raised in the piece and why he chose to write it. He explained that in December 2020, the federal government announced that they were aiming for a 30% decrease in nitrogen fertilizer emissions by 2030, but were vague on details such as how the emissions would be calculated.

He explained that it wasn’t clear why the government had chosen the 30% metric, or why they had chosen the year 2020 to be their benchmark. This lack of communication or consultation was the cause of confusion and frustration in the industry, he said.

In the Netherlands, farmers have been protesting regarding their government’s climate plans and their impact on the agriculture industry. McCann explained the differences between what’s going on there and what’s happening in Canada.

The full interview with McCann (14m50) is available here.