climates: economic, environmental · growing agriculture in changing climates 9 creating the right...
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“Growing Agriculture in Changing
Climates: Economic, Environmental
and Social”
2016 Alberta Agricultural Economics Association
(AAEA) Conference
Bev Yee, Deputy Minister
Agriculture and Forestry
April 28, 2016
Red Deer
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Canada is one of the largest
agricultural producers and exporters
in the world
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Alberta’s Agriculture and
Forestry sectors
• Enormous contributors to Alberta’s rural economy
• employing over 100,000 Albertans
• generating $12 billion in exports
• Forestry is a key economic contributor in 70 Alberta communities
• Agriculture producers rely on rural communities as a central point for commerce, schools, churches and as a social hub for the surrounding community of farms, ranches, acreages, businesses . . .
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Alberta’s agriculture sector
• Alberta has over 40% of the
national herd
• Majority of livestock processing
in Alberta
• 70% of Canada’s irrigated land
is in Alberta
• Alberta is a net exporter of
agriculture and agri-food
products
• Exports of primary commodities
(animals and crops) increased
by $5.5 billion in 2014
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Export countries and
commodities
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Top five exports (by value):
• Wheat
• Canola seed
• Beef
• Non-purebred live cattle
• Pork
Top five countries:
• United States (39.5%)
• China
• Japan
• Mexico
• South Korea
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Changing economic climate
• Lower Canadian dollar = increased
cost of imports
– increased cost for consumers for
imports, e.g. fruits and vegetables
– Increased returns for agriculture
commodity exports, e.g. crops,
livestock, beef, pork
• Tight global beef supplies =
increased prices for Canadian beef
• Repeal of Country of Origin
Labelling (COOL) will benefit
Alberta’s cattle and hog industry
• Changes in environmental policy
will also impact our industry6
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Changing Environmental Climate
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• Greater expectations from the public and stakeholders to
reduce environmental footprint
• increasing need to report results
• New and changing environmental policies impacting
industry, e.g. climate leadership, wetland policy, South
Saskatchewan Regional Plan
Agriculture represents only 8% of Alberta’s total greenhouse gas emissions
Agriculture provides carbon offset credits for regulated industrial emitters – a total of 11 million tonnes from 2007 to 2012
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Changing Social Climate
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• Growing expectations of consumers – quality, safe,
environmentally conscious, socially responsible and
humane
• Increasing demand for value-added product choices
(organic, Halal, Kosher, vegetarian proteins)
• Growing needs for food security – physical and economic
access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and
healthy life
• Focus on social license – public trust that an industry is
doing what is right, e.g Canadian Roundtable for
Sustainable Beef
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Growing Agriculture in Changing
Climates
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Creating the right conditions for growth
• policy and regulatory environment
• value adding and new product development
• incentives and access to capital
• infrastructure and facility development
• market development and investment attraction
• entrepreneurship
• research and innovation
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In Summary . . .
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Agriculture and Forestry – strong players in our economy
and in meeting a growing need for economic diversification
Economic challenges – dollar exchange and market
demand
Reducing our environmental footprint and supporting
regulated emitters through carbon offsets
Climate Change and GHG emissions – Alberta and
Canada, how we stand
Social Responsibility – need for industries to address
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Thank you!
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