Agriculture Canada says goal is reduced fertilizer emissions not usage reduction.Ottawa-The federal government may be in a listening mood in a dispute with farm organizations over how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizers used to promote crop growth.A simmering dispute between farm groups and Environment Canada mushroomed following the release of a report by the MNP accounting firm that warned cutting fertilizer usage by 30 per cent could cost crop growers $10.4 billion by 2030 and cut global grain supplies.In response, Agriculture Canada said in an email the government is focused on reducing fertilizer emissions, and not a blanket reduction in fertilizer application rates. It hopes to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer by 30 per cent by 2030 “through voluntary measures. This does not include any mandatory farm fertilizer reduction rules, guidelines, or mandatory procedures.”That hasn't been the message farm groups were receiving until now. As well, the Environment Department set the 30 per cent goal “without consulting the provinces, the agricultural sector, or any key stakeholders on the feasibility of such a target,” said Karen Proud, President and CEO of Fertilizer Canada, which commissioned the MNP study.”The fertilizer industry has been proactively working to reduce on-farm emissions for over a decade by implementing 4R Nutrient Stewardship. By utilizing 4R best management practices, farmers can optimize plant nutrient uptake, and increase yields, while achieving verifiable reductions in emissions.“No one is more impacted by climate change than farmers,” said Proud. “The 4R approach has been developed over the last decade and a half in partnership with leading scientists, farm organizations and provincial governments to reduce agriculture's environmental impact without compromising farmers' competitiveness.”Now is the time for the government to collaborate with industry and farmers on an approach that showcases Canada as a world leader in reducing on-farm emissions.Crosby Devitt, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario, said the proposed 30 per cent reduction “is not aligned with the need for grain farming to provide food, and crop for other uses, to people across Canada and the world in perpetuity.” Setting targets that do not reflect the realities of food production will not be successful. “Quite simply: this policy could devastate our food system and economy.”The Agriculture Canada email said while fertilizer has contributed to record harvests in the last decade, “emissions associated with nitrogen synthetic fertilizer use have also grown significantly.“Through major investments in science and innovation, there is sufficient evidence that efficiency gains are possible through wider use of advanced fertilizer products and beneficial management practices, resulting in both economic benefits for farmers and environmental benefits for society.”The government will continue to look at ways to reduce fertilizer emissions the 4R program. Other ways to help achieve this goal could come from the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, the Agriculture Climate Solutions-Living Labs Initiative, and the On-Farm Climate Action Fund, it said.