Minister MacAulay announces funding to help farmers lower emissions and build resilience
Press Release
From: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
January 28, 2025
Farmers care deeply about the land and have been leaders when it comes to taking action to protect the environment and strengthen the competitiveness of our agricultural businesses and economy. Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the expansion of the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), which will provide an additional $300 million to 13 organizations in continuation of their efforts to help farmers become more climate resilient over the next 3 years.
The 13 organizations are: B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation, Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, ECOCERT Canada, Manitoba Association of Watersheds, Manitoba Métis Federation, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc., Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture, Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds and L’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA). For additional project details, please visit the OFCAF page.
By lowering implementation costs for adopting on-farm practices, facilitating the availability of information and agronomic services, and enabling knowledge transfer to producers and agronomists through outreach and training, OFCAF helps remove obstacles to the broader adoption of beneficial management practices. Direct support to farmers falls under these target areas:
- Cover Cropping: activities such as fall- or spring-planted cover crops (intercropping), and full-season annual or perennial cover crops in a rotation. Planting cover crops, like clover and alfalfa, cover the soil rather than being harvested, in turn adding nutrients that build organic matter, increase water access and, reduce soil erosion.
- Nitrogen Management: activities like optimizing nitrogen use by increasing legumes in rotations, and using manure and other fertilizer substitutes can provide lasting benefits to soil, air and water quality.
- Rotational Grazing: practices include new fencing and watering systems, and activities to implement low methane pastures. Rotational grazing is the practice of containing and moving livestock through pasture to allow forage plants to recover, deepen their root systems and improve soil health.
Organizations will redistribute funding through individual application intakes. Farmers across Canada are encouraged to use the On-Farm Climate Action Fund Web Tool for Farmers to determine which organization best serves their geographic area and needs.
Quotes
“Farmers don’t need to be convinced that climate change is real – they’re facing the impacts directly. They want to keep their land healthy, productive, and resilient. As a government, we’re making historic investments so that we can continue to be a reliable supplier and leading exporter of world-class products. Building on other efforts already underway, I have no doubt that the On-Farm Climate Action Fund’s expansion phase will strengthen the sector’s long-term climate resiliency.”
– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Quick facts
- First announced in Budget 2021, the now $704.1-million On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is an initiative to help farmers tackle climate change. It is part of the Government of Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions initiative, which falls under the more than $5-billion Natural Climate Solutions Fund, a 10-year (2021-2031) initiative managed by Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
- OFCAF supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 45 to 50% below 2005 levels by 2035.
- The first phase of OFCAF included 13 projects; 12 were announced on February 22, 2022, and the 13th project, led by the Manitoba Métis Federation, was announced on July 4, 2023.
- The program was extended from 2024-2025 to strengthen progress made through in its initial phase, with $322.9 million allocated to date.
- Projects and final funding are subject to negotiation of a contribution agreement.
- Since 2022, OFCAF has provided support to over 7,500 farmers on more than 2,400,000 hectares of land, and has trained approximately 3,000 agrologists and 27,000 producers who have attended knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning activities.
Associated links
Contacts
For media:
Annie Cullinan
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
ILR4
