CALGARY, ALBERTA — (Marketwired) — 12/03/13 — The Climate Change and Emissions Management () Corporation is providing $252,500 to support the second phase of a project led by the (CFI) called Farming 4R Land. The project will help Alberta farmers improve yields, reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to fertilizer use and generate offset credits.
This project is funded through the Biological Greenhouse Gas Management Program that is delivered on behalf of the CCEMC by .
“This project is critical to help Alberta farmers achieve economic and environmental benefits of superb land stewardship while reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with fertilizer applications” said Susan Wood-Bohm, Executive Director for the Biological Greenhouse Gas Management Program.
Phase II supports implementation of Alberta–s Nitrous Oxide Emission Reduction Protocol (NERP), which enables farmers to qualify for carbon offsets within the Alberta offset protocol system. The project encourages broader adoption of CFI best management practices called 4RNutrient Stewardship – using the Right source, at the Right rate, at the Right time, and in the Right place®. In the process, farmers will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and with appropriate documentation, may generate offset credits as well.
“Generally, if a farmer improves their best management practices when it comes to fertilizer use, our very conservative estimate is they can reduce their N2O (nitrous oxide) emissions by 15 to 25 percent,” said CFI Vice President of Strategy and Alliances, Clyde Graham.
The project aims to have enough acreage qualified under Alberta–s Nitrous Oxide Emission Reduction Protocol to support offset transactions equal to 25,000 tonnes CO2e by the end of 2014.
This is the second phase of the Farming 4R Land project. The first phase, which also received funding from the CCEMC, provided farmers with the information and resources required to adopt NERP and qualify for carbon offsets. It included educational materials, workshops, surveys, a website with tools for calculating emission reductions, and online training programs. It established five demonstration farms representing more than 20,000 acres of active Alberta farmland. The CFI commissioned a study that showed farmers who adopted 4R best management practices under NERP could improve their operations– profitability by $9 to $87 per acre.
“For a small farm, that might amount to $4,000 a year, ” said Graham. “For a very large enterprise, it could be hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in improved net revenue.”
The Alberta Offset System is a regulatory framework which sets out the protocols or requirements for buying and selling carbon offset credits within Alberta. For NERP, earning carbon offsets is based on documenting practice changes that result in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The CCEMC is a not-for-profit corporation that operates independently of government. It focuses on stimulating transformative change by funding projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help Alberta adapt to climate change. Funding for the CCEMC is collected from industry. Since 2007, facilities that annually produce more than 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are required to reduce their greenhouse gas intensity by 12 per cent relative to a historic baseline. Paying $15 into the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund for every tonne over the reduction limit is one compliance option.
Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions is a research agency funded by the Government of Alberta that works with partners to identify, coordinate and fund research projects designed to help solve industry challenges with solutions that deliver economic, environmental and social benefits. Through this investment in science and innovation, AI Bio aims to help create new technologies and products that will grow Alberta–s agriculture, food and forest sectors.
The Canadian Fertilizer Institute is an industry association representing manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur fertilizers. Our mission is to be the unified voice of the Canadian fertilizer industry by promoting the responsible, sustainable and safe production, distribution and use of fertilizers. Our industry employs 12,000 Canadians and contributes $12 billion annually to Canada–s economy. Our products contribute to the supply of safe, nutritious food in Canada and around the world.
To view the Background associated with this release, please visit the following link:
Contacts:
Canadian Fertilizer Institute
Cassandra Cotton
613-762-8178
Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation
Celia Sollows
780-239-4150
Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions
Marie Cusack
780-918-4620