Farmers need to be encouraged to retain and restore wetlands.Ottawa—Instead of being an impediment to farming, wetlands have an environmental significance that needs to be recognized by producers and governments, says a new research paper from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI).Up to 70 per cent of historic wetlands have been degraded or lost in Canada, with most of that attributed to drainage for agricultural land, the report said. “Their substantial loss has had significant repercussions, including on water quality and quantity.“Scientific research has shown that wetlands are known to provide flood control, improve water quality, and enhance carbon sequestration,” says the paper prepared jointly by four CAPI Doctoral Fellows--Paul Benalcazar, Vivekananthan Kokulan, Alexandre Lillo and Jean-Pascal Matteau—who are working on the importance of sustainable farming.More work is needed to develop “a more comprehensive portrait and provide a useful analysis with respect to existing knowledge and protection mechanisms relating to wetlands.”The report sets out to show “these ecosystems can be an important asset for a more sustainable Canadian agriculture.” Rather than regarding wetlands as poor farmland, they should be appreciated “as one of the most diversified ecosystems on the planet. Wetlands provide many ecological functions for both plants and animals; they form extraordinary basins of biodiversity.”They also provide benefits to agriculture, including “crop pollination, nutrients for crops from the breakdown of organic matter, contaminant degradation and agricultural pest control.”They also play an essential part in the conservation of both water quality and quantity. In addition, wetlands “buffer water supplies by holding water during droughts, maintain water quality by filtering nutrients and pesticides and reduce greenhouse gases by building and storing soil carbon.”There is a diversity of wetlands across Canada. Fresh and saltwater marshes, wooded swamps, bogs, seasonally flooded forest, and sloughs cover about 14 per cent of the land area of Canada. However, the need for more agricultural production and urban development has meant that more wetlands are being drained and levelled across Canada.” They have become “vulnerable areas and one of the most threatened of natural resources.” Almost 70 per cent of Ontario wetlands have been drained and converted to agricultural lands.Field trials and economic analysis have shown that conservation of wetlands can improve ecosystem functions and save costs associated with flood control, nutrient management in water bodies, carbon sequestration and recreation This is why the ecological services and societal values provided by wetlands have been increasingly recognized, and efforts have been made to protect or restore these natural areas.“When it comes to agriculture and its impact on natural ecosystems such as wetlands, much of the current research has only explored a few dimensions of this topic,” the report said. “Not only could wetland conservation a greener agriculture, but valuing wetlands could lead to a more productive sector.”Research is needed to better understand how wetlands can act as a tool toward more economical sustainability for farmers and show their monetary value to producers.Future research should look for ways to minimize crop loss due to flooding from in-farm wetlands during high moisture periods and produce a better understanding of the effects of climate variation and climate change on wetland restoration methods and efficiency to create new models of wetland restoration adapted to each climate reality.There should be ways to demonstrate the financial benefits of restoring wetlands and on-farm conservation methods leading to passive restorations of wetlands, the report said.Best management practices (BMPs) to promote biodiversity and ecosystem services should be developed so farmers understand that wetlands provide benefits in the long term due to the advantages of having multiple ecosystems on their lands.That will provide trade-offs between crop production and biodiversity. New technologies available in agriculture should be promoted as they provide financial benefits for farmers and environmental benefits for society, therefore allowing for the passive restoration of wetlands, the report said.Governments should reinstate subsidy programs to protect or restore endangered wetlands and provide an incentive for farming practices that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services.Measures should be designed to provide a vision and incentives required for achieving environmentally sustainable agriculture where programs not only look at innovation, competitiveness and growth in the industry but also encourage small, medium and large farmers to adopt BMPs as part of their incentives.There is a need to promote vertical and horizontal integration. A link between federal and provincial programs could be used to connect business, research and environmental stewardship programs. Models such as the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) could be a source of funding and support for environmental stewardship.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.